Mutton biryani
The big Sunday and Eid biryani: mutton marinated in curd and spices, cooked tender in the pressure cooker and layered with basmati rice, fried onions, mint and saffron, then sealed and cooked on dum. Serve with raita or mirchi ka salan; Hyderabadi kacchi biryani layers the meat raw, and Kolkata biryani adds potatoes.
- 2 h 30Time
- 1 hHands-on
- 4Portions
- 41 gprotein per portion
- 980kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 750 gMutton (curry cut), biryani cut
- 200 gCurd, whisked
- 2 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 1 ½ tspRed chilli powder
- 3 mlTurmeric
- 1 tbspBiryani masala
- 1Lemon (nimbu), juiced
- 4Green chillies, slit
- 30 gMint, leaves
- 30 gCoriander leaves, chopped
- to tasteSalt
- 4Onions, thinly sliced
- 6 tbspRefined oil
- ≈ 250 mlWater
- 400 gRice, basmati
- 2Bay leaves
- 1 gCardamom, 4 whole pods
- 4Cloves
- 2 gCinnamon, 1 stick, about 5 cm
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 1 gSaffron, a big pinch
- 60 mlMilk, warm
- 2 tbspGhee
- 3 mlKewra water (optional)
Method
- Wash the mutton and mix it with the curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, biryani masala, lemon juice, green chillies, half the mint and coriander leaves and salt.
- Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.
- Slice the onions thinly and fry them in the oil in the pressure cooker on medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp, 15–18 minutes. Lift them out and leave the oil in the cooker.
- Wash the rice gently until the water runs clear and leave it to soak in fresh water.
- Crush half the fried onions into the mutton. Heat the oil left in the cooker, add the mutton with all its marinade and fry on high heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour in the water and close the cooker.
- Pressure-cook on medium for 5–6 whistles, about 20 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself. The mutton should be tender.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil with the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon salt. Add the drained rice and boil for 5–6 minutes, until the grains are long but still firm in the centre. Drain.
- Soak the saffron in the warm milk.
- Open the cooker. If the masala is thin, boil it uncovered for a few minutes until it is thick and just coats the pieces.
- Spread the mutton in a heavy-bottomed pot and spread the rice over it. Top with the rest of the fried onions, mint and coriander leaves, then drizzle with the saffron milk, ghee and kewra water.
- Seal the pot tightly with foil and the lid. Cook on medium heat for 3–4 minutes until steam builds, then on the lowest heat, ideally with a tawa under the pot, for 20 minutes.
- Leave closed for 10 minutes. Serve by scooping right down to the bottom, so each plate gets rice and mutton.
