Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6)
1. Mutton – 1 kg, cubed
2. Refined oil – 1/2 cup
3. Onion – 2.5 cups, thinly sliced
4. Whole spices – cardamom – 4, bay leaf – 2, cinnamon stick – 1 inch broken, star anise – 1 , cloves – 5, shah jeera – 1/2 tsp
Ginger and garlic paste – 2.5 tbsp
Green chilies – 8 – 10, ground to a paste or coarsely crushed in the small jar of a blender / mortar and pestle
5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder or good quality kashmiri chilly powder – 1.5 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 – 2 tsp (recipe below)
6. Yoghurt – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
7. Hot water – 1/2 cup
8. Chopped cilantro – 2 – 3 tbsp
Mint leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped
9. Salt – To taste
For the rice
10. Basmati rice – 2.5 cups, soaked in enough water for at least 30 minutes and then drained
Whole spices – bay leaf – 2, cloves – 6, green cardamom – 3, black cardamom – 1, cinnamon stick – 1 inch broken, kala jeera – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 2 – 3 tsp
Salt – To taste
To layer
11. Fried onion – 1/3 cup
Saffron – 1 pinch soaked in 2 tbsp hot water to which 1 tsp kewra water is also added
Chopped mint and cilantro – 2 tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1 – 2 pinches
Ghee – 1 – 2 tbsp
Method
1. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large pan. Add 1/2 cup onion and fry till golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside 1/3 cup fried onion for garnishing.
2. To the remaining oil, add onion, little salt and fry until golden. Remove to a paper towel. Add whole spices numbered 4 and ginger-garlic paste. Cook for a minute. Add mutton pieces and mix well. Cook for a minute. Add ground green chilies and mix well. Cook for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and yoghurt. Mix well and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until oil starts separating. Add fried onion (set aside 1/3 cup fried onion to garnish) and 2 tbsp chopped mint and cilantro. Now add 1/2 cup hot water and mix well. Cover and cook until mutton is soft and completely cooked through. Transfer this to a pressure cooker and cook for 4 – 5 whistles or until mutton turns soft.
3. Boil water in a large vessel adding the remaining ingredients numbered 10. Taste-check for salt. The water should be slightly salty. Add soaked and drained rice and cook until the rice is 75 – 80 % cooked. Drain well.
4. In a heavy-bottomed vessel or oven-proof vessel smear 2 tsp ghee and spread half of the mutton at the bottom. Top it with half of the hot cooked rice. Sprinkle fried onion and chopped mint and cilantro. Spread the remaining mutton on top along with any gravy, followed by the remaining rice. Top with fried onion, saffron water, garam masala powder and ghee. Cover tightly with an aluminium foil. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. OR Heat a wide tawa over high heat for a few minutes. Once hot, bring down the heat to low. Place the biriyani pot and cook for 7 – 8 minutes. Switch off. Let it rest unopened for another 10 – 15 minutes in the biriyani pot. YummyHyderabadi mutton biriyani is ready to enjoy! Serve hot with green chutney / kachumber salad/ onion rings/ lime wedges/ boiled egg/ mirchi ka salan etc.
Garam masala powder recipe
- Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp
- Black pepper – 1 tsp
- Cloves – 8 – 10
- Black cardamom – 1
- Green cardamom – 4 – 5
- Cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch
- Javithri / mace – A tiny piece
- Nutmeg – 1/8th of one nutmeg
Grind the above ingredients to a fine powder. You need only 1.5 – 2 tsp for this recipe. Store the remaining in an air-tight container to use later.
Which part of the mutton do you prefer for biryani. ? Want to give a try looks awesome 😎