Ingredients
1 Kg Mutton, curry cuts with bone
2 Cups Basmati Rice
2 Tbsps Ghee
2 Tbsps Oil
Water accordingly
Marinade for Mutton:
1 Cup Deep fried Onion
1 1/2 Cups Curd (Yogurt)
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Chili Powder
6-7 Cardomoms
2 Cinnamon sticks
6-7 Cloves
3'' Ginger and 10 cloves of Garlic, ground to a paste
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 Cup Mint Leaves
2 Green Chilies
2 Tbsps Oil
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice
To cook Basmati Rice:
5 Cardamoms
4 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Bay leaves
To layer and cook Biryani:
2 Tbsps Ghee
1 Cup Coriander leaves, chopped
1 Cup Mint Leaves
1 Cup Onion slices, fried
Pinch of Saffron, dissolved in a cup of warm milk
Method:
Take a small skillet or a small pan, add 2 tsps of oil and saute the cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds in it for 30 seconds on medium flame. Transfer this to a mixing bowl when done. In the same mixing bowl, add the mutton and all the remaining ingredients listed under marinade. Mix the meat well with everything and transfer to a pressure cooker or a vessel to cook the mutton in. If pressure cooking, allow the whistles according to the tenderness of the meat. Make sure not to over cook the mutton. Once mutton is cooked, turn stove off and keep aside.
Meanwhile, cook the Basmati rice in 3 cups of water instead of 4. For Biryani, it is always better to cook the rice, not in the 1:2 method, but ideally in the 1:1.5. Therefore for 1 Cup rice, use 1.5 cups of water. To start cooking the rice, saute the cardamoms, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves for 1 minute in the remaining oil, add the washed Basmati rice and a tsp of salt and allow the rice to cook. Once it is cooked. Keep aside.
Take another heavy bottomed vessel to layer and cook the biryani now. Put the vessel to heat, add ghee and the remaining ingredients listed under 'to layer and cook biryani' except for the saffron milk. No add a layer of Mutton Curry with pieces, then top it with a layer of rice. sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice equally. Again add a layer of mutton curry and pieces over the rice and repeat the process till both rice and mutton have been exhausted. Top the packed biryani with saffron milk and cover the vessel with a tight lid and place over a 'Tava' or a cast iron skillet on medium flame. The heat generated from the cast iron will keep the heavy bottomed vessel warm and still not let the biryani mixture at the bottom to burn. The heat will remain contained in the vessel allowing the rice to cook fully in mutton curry and juices.
Serve hot after 20 mins. Before plating, gently scoop the rice right on top of the packed biryani and then scoop the meat mixture all the way in. The idea is to work your way towards the bottom and centre (not middle) slowly, this way the biryani will remain dissipated in layers and colours. If it mixes too much together it will be as good as a pulao :)
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