Place the goat pieces into a large mixing bowl and pat them dry with paper towels using your hands.

Add yogurt, ginger–garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala or biryani masala, and lemon juice to the bowl, then mix well with a wooden spoon so every piece is coated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 60 minutes so the goat absorbs the spices and starts to tenderize.

Place the basmati rice in the large mixing bowl, cover it with water from a measuring cup, and rub the grains gently with your fingers, then drain through a colander; repeat until the water runs mostly clear.

Fill a medium saucepan with 10 cups water using a measuring cup, add salt, cardamom pods, bay leaf, and cloves, and set it on the stove over high heat until the water boils.

Add the rinsed rice to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, stirring once with a wooden spoon, until the grains are just tender on the outside but still firm in the center.

Drain the rice immediately through the colander and set it aside so the steam escapes and the grains stay separate.

Set the large heavy pot on the stove over medium heat and add vegetable oil and ghee using a measuring spoon.

When the fat looks hot and shimmering, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seeds, and stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook, stirring often with the spoon, for 12 minutes until they turn deep golden brown.

Stir in the green chilies, then add the marinated goat from the bowl into the pot and mix well with the wooden spoon so the meat touches the bottom of the pot.

Cook the goat on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pieces lose their raw color and the masala smells roasted.

Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and mint to the pot and stir, then sprinkle turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala or biryani masala, and salt over the top.

Cook this mixture for 12 minutes, stirring now and then with the spoon, until the tomatoes break down and you see some oil separating at the edges of the masala.

Pour in 1 cup water with a measuring cup, stir, cover the pot with its lid, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes until the goat is mostly tender and the gravy is thick but still saucy.

In a small bowl, warm the milk briefly in the microwave and stir in saffron or food color with a spoon.

Check the goat in the pot; the pieces should be close to tender and coated in a medium-thick gravy that is not watery.

Turn the heat down to very low, then spread the goat and gravy in an even layer at the bottom of the pot using the wooden spoon.

Spread half of the parboiled rice over the goat in a gentle, even layer with your hand or the spoon, taking care not to break the grains.

Sprinkle half of the fried onions, half of the cilantro, and half of the mint over this rice layer, then drizzle 1 tbsp ghee over the top with a measuring spoon.

Add the remaining rice as a second layer, then top with the rest of the fried onions, cilantro, mint, and the saffron milk, and drizzle the final 1 tbsp ghee evenly over the surface.

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid; if the lid is loose, seal the edge with a strip of foil or a simple dough rope pressed around the rim using your hands.

Increase the heat to medium for 5 minutes to build steam inside the pot, then lower the heat to very low and cook for 25 minutes without opening the lid.

Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, still covered, for 10 minutes so the steam settles and the layers firm up.

Gently open the lid away from your face to avoid hot steam, then use a large spoon to lightly fluff the top layer of rice and lift from the bottom so you bring up goat and rice together without mashing the grains.