Sindhi Biryani

In Pakistan, when my boyfriend's mother, Najma Awan, served me Sindhi biryani, a specialty of the country's southeastern Sindh province, I fell in love. Like all great versions of this dish, hers strikes a balance between the tastes and textures of rice, goat, and curry masala, which is fragrant with herbs, hot chiles, ginger, and other spices. She cooks the curried goat and rice separately, then steams them in layers, so that the sauce and juices drip into, but don't saturate, the fluffy grain. The result is a beautifully striated centerpiece that offers rice, spice, and meat in waves of astounding flavor.