Cut the beef into big pieces and wash it thoroughly. Marinate it with salt, curd 1/2 tsp of garam masala and pepper powder. Leave it for 30 minutes.
Soak the rice for 15 minutes, wash and drain it well. Heat ghee in a cooking vessel and add cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and bay leaves. Fry for a minute. Add the rice and fry it for 3-4 minutes. Pour in 4 1/2 cups of water, salt, lime juice and cook it covered until cooked. Set aside the cooked rice.

Grind Green chillies, ginger and garlic into  paste in a mixer grinder. Heat ghee in a pan and fry Onions, cashew nuts and raisins, one by one until they turn light brown and keep aside for garnishing.

In the remaining ghee sauté thinly sliced onions, until they turn golden brown. Add the ginger and chilly paste into it and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and fry it for 2 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes, mace, bay leaves, cloves, coriander leaves, mint leaves and mix it well. Add the marinated beef pieces and mix well. Pour in the coconut milk and salt as per your taste. Allow it to cook on low flame until the meat is cooked well.

Now take a skillet and rub in a nice film of ghee or butter into it. Spread a layer of rice in the bottom and beef masala on the top. Garnish with mint leaves, coriander leaves, cashew nuts, raisins and fried onions. Spread the remaining rice on top of this and give one more layer of garnish. Keep it on low flame, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with pickle or chutney.