This mutton biryani recipe is a must-try for people who are biryani fans. This easy lamb biryani recipe is suitable for bachelors and new cooks alike. Biryani is made in numerous ways in various regions of India. This traditional mutton biryani recipe brings you an easy way to prepare this succulent and flavourful dish at home. If you love a spicy biryani Hyderabadi or Lucknowi, you will definitely enjoy this mutton biryani recipe. This mutton biryani is not just popular for its taste but the method of cooking as well. There are 3 ways of cooking Mutton Biryani. One of the popular methods of preparing this biryani recipe is Hyderabadi Pakki Dum Mutton Biryani in which the mutton and rice are cooked separately and then steamed until the biryani is cooked completely in layers. Another method is cooking Kacchi Mutton Biryani (also known as Kacche gosht ki biryani), in which the mutton is marinated first and cooked with half-cooked rice in layers. Another one is cooking mutton biryani in a pressure cooker. Irrespective of the method used to prepare his delicacy, Mutton Biryani is a regal dish straight from the lands of the Nizams. The marination time of mutton can also vary in all these methods, which directly impacts the tenderness and the flavour of the meat. Think of any biryani recipe and you would realise that it takes a lot to prepare biryanis. However, if you have the will, it will be ready easily and will be flavourful as well. While preparing this delicacy, it is very important to choose the right rice for biryani. If you will not choose high-quality basmati rice, it will impact the texture and will hamper the taste as well. So, in order to make a mouth-watering Mutton Biryani, use basmati rice that has long grains. The longer the grain of basmati rice, the greater the flavour of the dish will be. You can also prepare this delicious recipe on festivals like Holi and impress your guests with your culinary skills. So, what are you waiting for? Try this Nizam’s delicacy and enjoy!
Ingredients of Mutton Biryani
- 2 cup basmati rice
- 2 green cardamom
- 1/2 cup ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 dashes saffron
- 1 kilograms mutton
- 1/2 cup fresh cream
- 4 red chilli
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
For Marination
- 1 cup yoghurt (curd)
- 1/2 cup mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered star anise
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- salt as required
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
For Garnishing
- 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi powder
Step 1 Wash the mutton Begin with washing the mutton pieces and drain the excess water. Make sure you squeeze out the excess water and prick the meat using a fork, this will help in better absorption of the marinade.
Step 2 Marinate the mutton Now, add all the marination ingredients to it. Rub well with your fingers so that the marination spreads evenly. Ideally, you should leave this meat in the refrigerator overnight. If you have sudden guests coming, then marinate and keep aside for 1-2 hours.
Step 3 Boil the rice and heat ghee in a pan Meanwhile, parboil the rice and keep it aside after spreading on a plate. If you overcook your rice, it will turn sticky when mixed with the mutton. Dissolve the saffron in ¼ cup milk and set aside. Heat some ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and the raisins.
Step 4 Fry the onions Slice the onions and fry them in the same ghee. Reserve half of the onions and keep them aside. Remove the mutton from the refrigerator and allow it to come down to room temperature. This step is important for the proper cooking of the meat. Heat ghee in a deep bottomed vessel. It should have a tight-fitting lid. You can also use a pressure cooker with the whistle removed.
Step 5 Cook the marinated meat Once the ghee is sufficiently hot, add the whole spices-cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms and cumin. Allow them to splutter. Add whole red chillies and marinate the mutton pieces. Add the onions, ginger and garlic paste and cook covered till the mutton is tender.
Step 6 Layer the rice & mutton Now add garam masala and roast the mutton till the entire water is absorbed and oil separates from it. Remove the mutton from the pan. In the same pan add a layer of cooked rice, followed by a layer of mutton and then again a layer of rice. Between each layer, sprinkle some dry fruits.
Step 7 Let the biryani cook for 10-12 minutes The topmost layer should be of rice. Now add the Kesar milk and cream. Pour this evenly over the rice. Cover the lid and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes.
Step 8 Garnish and serve Remove from flame and garnish with onions, mint, kasoori methi, coriander and serve hot with raita. Make sure you try this recipe, rate it and let us know how it turned out to be.