Mutton/Lamb Biryani Recipe from the Nizams kitchen

Ingredients




Serves 8
1 kg Mutton or lamb (cut into 1½ inch pieces)
1½ cups Basmati rice washed and soaked for half an hour in five to six cups of water. Drain
1 tsp.. ginger paste
7-8 strands Saffron soaked in 1/2 cup Warm milk
2 cups Yogurt
Salt to taste
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
1½ tbsp. Garlic paste
Oil to deep fry
4-5 large sized Onions (thinly sliced)
4-5 Cloves
1 inch stick Cinnamon
4-5 Green cardamoms
1-2 Black cardamoms
6-8 Peppercorns
5 tbsp. Ghee
2 Green chillies (chopped)
2 tbsp. Coriander powder
1 tbsp. Cumin powder
1 tsp. Red chilli powder
4 large sized Tomatoes (chopped)
2 tsp.s Garam masala powder
1/2 medium bunch Fresh coriander leaves (coarsely chopped)
1/2 medium bunch Fresh mint leaves (coarsely chopped)
3 tbsp. Butter




Method




Marinate mutton in yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and one tablespoon each of ginger and garlic pastes. Marinate for about four hours in a refrigerator.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and fry half of the sliced onions till brown and crisp. Drain

Cook rice in salted five cups of boiling water along with aromatic garam masala spices of cloves, cinnamon, green and black cardamoms and peppercorns till rice is almost cooked. Strain and keep rice warm.

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan or pressure cooker. Add remaining sliced onions and green chillies. Cook, stirring continuously, till onions are light golden brown. Add remaining ginger paste and garlic paste and mix well. Add marinated mutton and cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly. Stir in three cups of water, bring it to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till mutton is almost cooked. Add tomatoes, salt, half the garam masala powder and fresh coriander leaves. Cook for fifteen minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Ensure that the cooked mutton does not have a thin gravy. If that is the case cook on high heat to reduce. Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange half the quantity of cooked mutton in an ovenproof dish and spread half the quantity of cooked rice on top of the mutton. Sprinkle a little of the remaining garam masala powder, half each of ginger julienne, saffron dissolved in warm milk and mint leaves. Dot the rice with half the quantity of butter. Spread the remaining mutton on top of the rice, followed by cooked rice and repeat the earlier process with the remaining quantities of ginger julienne, saffron milk, garam masala powder, mint leaves and butter. Cover it with aluminium foil and cook in the preheated oven for fifteen to twenty minutes at 350F. Garnish with fried sliced onions and serve with mixed vegetable raita as accompaniment.