Mutton biriyani is a simple recipe and suitable for new cooks and bachelors. The success to making any good mutton biriyani is tender meat and cooking it to the right time and in the right way on a low flame.
In this recipe, mutton has to be marinated with yoghurt and spices to tenderize it very well. Due to the slow cooking and dum process, this biriyani tastes delicious. It can be served with raita and pickle.
My elder son, Karthik, loves biriyanis….be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I love to watch him devour this tasty biriyani. I made this biriyani for Christmas and wanted to share the recipe on the same day. But I got a little busy, so I am sharing this recipe now….
Ingredients
For Marination
- ½ kg tender Mutton, cut
- 1 ¼ tsp. Red Chilli powder
- 1 tsp. Biriyani masala
- 1 tbsp. Ginger garlic paste
- ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
- ½ cup Yoghurt
- 1 ½ tbsp. Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. Oil
- Salt, to taste
For the rice
- 2 cups of Basmati rice, soaked for 20 minutes
- 3 cups Water
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ tsp. Fennel seeds
- 2-3 Cloves
- 1 small Cinnamon stick
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
Dry spices
- 3 tbsps. Ghee
- 1 Bay leaf
- ¾ tsp. Shahi Jeera
- 4 Green cardamoms
- 1 Star Anise
- 2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 3-4 Cloves
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup Onion, thinly sliced
- 2-4 Green Chillies, slit
- Handful of Coriander leaves, chopped
- Handful of Mint leaves, chopped
- ½ cup Yoghurt
- Pinch of Saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp. of hot milk
Method
- Wash the mutton and drain the water thoroughly.
- Marinate the mutton with the ingredients mentioned under ‘For marination’ and set aside for 4 hours. I generally marinate overnight.
- Wash rice and soak it in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- In a pressure cooker, add oil and fry the ingredients under ‘Dry Spices’.
- Add onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn golden brown. Keep aside half of the fried onions for garnish.
- Reduce the flame to low and add the marinated meat. Add half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Close the pressure cooker and allow the mutton to cook until tender, about 3 to 4 whistles.
- While the mutton is cooking, take water in a large pot and add spices and salt.
- Boil the water. When the water boils, add the drained rice and cook until 90% done.
- Soak saffron in a little milk and set aside.
- Next, take a thick bottomed pot and layer the cooked mutton at the bottom. If the gravy of the cooked mutton is too thick, add some more yoghurt to it.
- Add chopped coriander and mint leaves and fried onions.
- Layer rice evenly over the cooked mutton. Sprinkle some coriander and mint leaves, fried onions and some ghee.
- Pour the saffron milk on top of the rice.
- Cover the rim of the biryani pot with a thick moist cloth or foil. Place the lid on top of it.
- Cook on a low flame for 15 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes after that.
- Serve mutton dum biriyani with raita and pickle.