Who doesn’t love spicy, fragrant and yummy biryani from hyderabadi cuisine. Hyderabad is famous for its lipsmacking mutton biryani. In this biryani recipe, the mutton is cooked along with spices and added to basmati rice that is cooked on dum over slow heat. The soft and mouth melting mutton chunks in the biryani adds the zing to this speciality recipe. Prepare it at home and enjoy the weekend lunch.
Ingredients
To marinate:
Mutton - ½ kg
Curd - ½ cup
Turmeric pwd - ¼ tsp
Red chilly pwd - ½ tsp
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Lemon juice - few drops
Salt to taste
To prepare Mutton Masala:
Onion - 2 big
Tomato - 2
Green chilly - 1 or 2
Mint & coriander leaves chopped- 1 cup
Basmati rice -2 cups
Saffron strands - ¼ tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cumin - ½ tsp
Saunf pwd - ½ tsp
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 4
Star anise - 1
Javithri - 1
Cardamom - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Turmeric pwd - a pinch
Red chilly pwd - 1 tsp
Biryani masala pwd- ½ tsp
Lemon juice - few drops
Salt to taste
Instructions
1.
To Marinate:
2.
Take curd, turmeric pwd, red chilly pwd, ginger garlic paste and salt in a mixing bowl
3.
Squeeze few drops of lemon juice and make a thick paste
4.
Wash and chop mutton to bite-sized pieces
5.
Marinate with the above paste and allow to rest for 1 hour refrigerated
6.
To cook mutton:
7.
Meanwhile chop the onion, tomato, green chilly, mint and coriander leaves and keep ready
8.
Wash and soak basmati rice for 10 mins
9.
Drain the water and set aside
10.
Soak saffron strands in 1 tbsp of milk
11.
Add the marinated mutton pieces to pressure cooker
12.
Pressure cook by adding ½ cup of water for 5 whistles and simmer for 3 to 4 mins
13.
The mutton should be ¾ th cooked
14.
To make Masala:
15.
Heat oil/ghee in a frypan
16.
Add the cumin, saunf, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, javithri(mace) , bay leaf, peppercorns and saute till it splutters
17.
Add the finely sliced onions, green chilly and saute till the onions turn golden brown
18.
Add the ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell disappears
19.
Add in the finely chopped coriander and mint leaves
20.
Add the sliced tomatoes and combine
21.
Cook well until the tomatoes are mashed
22.
Add the masala’s turmeric pwd, red chilly pwd, biryani masala pwd, salt and stir
23.
Add the cooked mutton along with the water (stock) from the pressure cooker
24.
Mix well and allow to boil until the masala comes to thick masala consistency
25.
Turn off flame and squeeze few drops of lemon juice to it
26.
To cook the Basmati rice:
27.
In a wide bowl, add 2 ½ cups of water
28.
Add the soaked basmati rice along with ½ tsp garam masala pwd, ½ tsp salt and few drops of fresh lime juice
29.
Cook the rice until the rice is ¾ th cooked
30.
Drain the water and spread the rice in a bowl and allow to cool
31.
The rice shouldn’t be overcooked
32.
To prepare Biryani
33.
Now lets see how to prepare the biryani
34.
Take a thick bottomed wide vessel
35.
Add ghee and heat it
36.
Add half of the masala prepared (step 21)
37.
Spread half of the cooked basmati rice over the masala
38.
Again add the masala to top of the rice
39.
Top it up with cooked rice
40.
Drizzle the saffron colour on top of the rice in circles
41.
Now cover the pan with a tight lid
42.
Heat a dosa pan and place the biryani vessel on it
43.
Take hot water in a bowl and place it on top of the biryani vessel lid
44.
Simmer the flame and cook for 10 to 12 mins
45.
Turn off the flame
46.
Let it rest for 10 mins and enjoy the irresistible aroma of the mutton biryani
47.
Fluff the biryani gently with fork
48.
Enjoy hot with salna, raitha or any spicy curry