Mutton Biriyani
Mutton Biriyani
Ingredients
For Marinating Mutton
- 1 kg mutton, bone-in pieces
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 5 green chilies, chopped
- 1 handful mint leaves, chopped
- 1 handful coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 cup fried onions
For Mutton Base (Curry)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick, small
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 onions, medium, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, medium, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
For Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 8 cups water, for boiling rice
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick, small
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tablespoon salt, for rice water
For Layering and Dum (Final Assembly)
- 2 tablespoons saffron milk, pre-prepared
- few drops food color, orange/red, dissolved in a small amount of liquid
- 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup fried onions
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the mutton, yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chilies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried onions. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand, ensuring the mutton is well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
⏱️ 15 min
- 2
Heat the oil in a large pot or pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, black cardamom) and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
⏱️ 2 min
- 3
Add the thinly sliced onions to the pot and fry until they turn golden brown, stirring frequently. This can take 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften and the oil separates from the mixture, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min
- 5
Add the marinated mutton mixture to the pot. Mix well and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the mutton to sear slightly.
⏱️ 7 min
- 6
Add 1/2 cup of water to the mutton. Cover the pot and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles (approximately 15-20 minutes on medium heat) or until the mutton is tender. If not using a pressure cooker, simmer covered for 45-60 minutes, adding more water if needed, until the mutton is tender. Set aside.
⏱️ 20 min
- 7
While the mutton is cooking, prepare the rice. In a separate large pot, bring a generous amount of water (about 8 cups for 2 cups of rice) to a rolling boil. Add the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, black cardamom) and 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook the rice until it is 70-80% cooked (al dente), which usually takes 5-7 minutes. The grains should be elongated but still have a slight bite. Do not overcook.
⏱️ 7 min
- 9
Carefully drain the partially cooked rice using a colander. Discard the whole spices.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
To assemble the biriyani, use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Spread a layer of the cooked mutton curry at the bottom of the pot. Top with half of the partially cooked rice.
⏱️ 5 min
- 11
Drizzle half of the saffron milk and a few drops of the food color over the rice. Sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves, and fried onions.
⏱️ 2 min
- 12
Repeat the layering: add the remaining mutton curry, followed by the rest of the rice. Drizzle with the remaining saffron milk, food color, and sprinkle with more fresh coriander, mint, and fried onions. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee over the top.
⏱️ 3 min
- 13
Cover the pot tightly with a lid. For an authentic 'dum' cooking, you can seal the edges of the lid with a strip of dough. Cook on very low heat for 20-25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking with the steam.
⏱️ 25 min
- 14
Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the biriyani rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes before serving. Gently fluff the biriyani with a fork before serving to mix the layers.
⏱️ 15 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Mutton Biriyani
For Marinating Mutton
- 1 kg mutton, bone-in pieces
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 5 green chilies, chopped
- 1 handful mint leaves, chopped
- 1 handful coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 cup fried onions
For Mutton Base (Curry)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick, small
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 onions, medium, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, medium, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
For Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 8 cups water, for boiling rice
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon stick, small
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tablespoon salt, for rice water
For Layering and Dum (Final Assembly)
- 2 tablespoons saffron milk, pre-prepared
- few drops food color, orange/red, dissolved in a small amount of liquid
- 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup fried onions
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the mutton, yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chilies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried onions. Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand, ensuring the mutton is well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
⏱️ 15 min - 2
Heat the oil in a large pot or pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, black cardamom) and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
⏱️ 2 min - 3
Add the thinly sliced onions to the pot and fry until they turn golden brown, stirring frequently. This can take 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min - 4
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften and the oil separates from the mixture, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min - 5
Add the marinated mutton mixture to the pot. Mix well and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the mutton to sear slightly.
⏱️ 7 min - 6
Add 1/2 cup of water to the mutton. Cover the pot and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles (approximately 15-20 minutes on medium heat) or until the mutton is tender. If not using a pressure cooker, simmer covered for 45-60 minutes, adding more water if needed, until the mutton is tender. Set aside.
⏱️ 20 min - 7
While the mutton is cooking, prepare the rice. In a separate large pot, bring a generous amount of water (about 8 cups for 2 cups of rice) to a rolling boil. Add the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, black cardamom) and 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook the rice until it is 70-80% cooked (al dente), which usually takes 5-7 minutes. The grains should be elongated but still have a slight bite. Do not overcook.
⏱️ 7 min - 9
Carefully drain the partially cooked rice using a colander. Discard the whole spices.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
To assemble the biriyani, use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Spread a layer of the cooked mutton curry at the bottom of the pot. Top with half of the partially cooked rice.
⏱️ 5 min - 11
Drizzle half of the saffron milk and a few drops of the food color over the rice. Sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves, and fried onions.
⏱️ 2 min - 12
Repeat the layering: add the remaining mutton curry, followed by the rest of the rice. Drizzle with the remaining saffron milk, food color, and sprinkle with more fresh coriander, mint, and fried onions. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee over the top.
⏱️ 3 min - 13
Cover the pot tightly with a lid. For an authentic 'dum' cooking, you can seal the edges of the lid with a strip of dough. Cook on very low heat for 20-25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking with the steam.
⏱️ 25 min - 14
Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the biriyani rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes before serving. Gently fluff the biriyani with a fork before serving to mix the layers.
⏱️ 15 min