Mutton Biryani Recipe

Preparation

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- Cut the mutton into medium size pieces.
- Whip the yogurt.
- Mix equal amount of mace & green cardamom. Grind it into powder to make biryani masala 2[BM2].
- Boil milk and mix 1 pinch of both biryani masala 1[BM1] & biryani masala 2[BM2] along with little salt.
- Slice the onion into thin slices.
- Soak kesar in lukewarm water & add a pinch of saffron food color.
- Mash the mawa/khowa into coarse powder.

Mutton Marination

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- Add 2 tsp salt to mutton.
- Add ginger-garlic paste.
- Add garam masala powder, black pepper powder, red chilli powder.
- Add 1/2 tsp BM1 & 1/2 tsp BM2.
- Add the whipped yogurt.
- Mix everything well & refrigerate for 4 hours.
[Take out from refrigerator at least 30 mins before cooking, so it attains the room temperature]

Rice Preparation

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- Wash the basmati rice with light hands.
- Soak the rice for 1 hour.
[After 1 hour]
- Take water (about 2 l) in a bowl.
- Add half of the whole spices into water.
- Add 1 tsp of salt in the water .
- Add juice of 1/3 lemon.
- Add 1 tsp ghee.
- Add 1 tsp of kewra water.
- Once water comes to boil, add the soaked rice.
- Cook the rice till 70% of its full boil state.
[Usually takes 5-6 mins]
- Quickly drain out the hot water from cooked rice & spread over a flat surface to cool the rice.
[In case rice got overcooked, put the spreaded rice under running fan]

Onion Preparation

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- Heat pan on high flame.
- Add the refined oil.
- Once oil is hot, add half of the sliced onion.
- Continuously stir the onion & fry till golden in color.
- Turn off flame & strain out the onion barista.
- Sprinkle little salt over the onion barista, so it remains crispy for longer time.

Mutton cooking

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- Put a pressure cooker on high flame.
- Add 75 ml ghee.
- Once ghee is hot, add the remaining whole spices & stir.
- When aroma comes out from the spices, add the remaining sliced onions.
- Fry till the onions gets the golden color.
- Add the marinated mutton.
- Saute for 5-6 minutes.
- Once oil is released from mutton, add 1 tsp BM1.
- Add 1 tsp of BM2.
- Saute for another 5 mins.
- Add about 700 ml water.
[Check the salt, if needed add now & mix]
- Put the pressure cooker lid & place the valve weight.
- Allow 14-15 whistles or till the mutton is 90% cooked.
[Time may vary due to mutton quality. Allow the pressure to normalize before you open the lid]
- Separate the cooked mutton from the gravy.
- Remove the liquid fat from mutton gravy.
- Add 3 tsp ghee to the separated fat & mix.
[We will use this during biryani layering]

Biryani Layering

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- Take a big flat bowl or patila.
- Add the alu bakhara (dried plum).
- Squeeze the juice of 2/3 lemon.
- Add 1/2 tsp BM1.
- Add 1/2 tsp BM2.
- Add the mutton gravy & mix.
- Add little milk.
- Add 1/2 tsp ghee & mix.
[Check the salt]
- Add the mutton.
- Add 1/2 tsp of BM1 & BM2.
- Spread little onion barista.
- Add a layer of cooked rice.
- Spread 2 tsp of ghee.
- Spread half of the mashed mawa.
- Sprinkle some milk.
- Spread 1/2 tsp of BM1 & BM2.
- Sprinkle 4-5 tsp kesar soaked liquid.
- Put the final layer of rice.
- Spread the mix of mutton fat & ghee.
- Spread the remaining mawa.
- Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of BM1 & BM2.
- Add the remaining milk.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp of kewra water.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp of rose water.
- Add 2 drops of mitha atar (essence).
- Sprinkle some more kesar soaked liquid.
- At last sprinkle the remaining onion barista.
- Put wheat dough along the patila rim.
- Press the patila lid & lock with the dough.
[No gap should be present]

Steaming Process

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- Put a griddle (chatu) on oven.
- Place the patila on the griddle.
- Turn on flame on high.
- After 1 min, reduce the flame to low (seam).
- Steam for 30 mins.
- Turn off flame & allow to steam on no-flame for another 15 mins.
[This 45 mins is extremely important]

Now, the biryani is ready to be served.