Mutton Biriyani Recipe

Mutton Biriyani Recipe

Hi friends,

                    Here is  my first recipe for a blog. Biriyani is  a delicious spicy food of  Asian countries and  varieties of Biriyani is available in India.In Kerala Malabar biriyani is famous for its authentic spicy aroma and taste.In Kottayam we don't have any particular name for biriyani,its simply called Mutton Biriyani. Especially it is served for marriages and related chadangukal among Christians and Muslims in Kerala.In Kottayam, mutton is commonly used as a  gravy dish for ' Pal appam'  as Mutton stew.

I'm not telling any more about the biriyani,since everybody knows if we cooked the rice and meat properly with all spices in correct method(it won't come as good for cooking beginners) Mutton Biriyani will be the most authentic spicy food of Kerala

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Here is the method for preparing Mutton Biriyani :):)

Ingredients

• Chilli powder                -    1 Tb sp
• Turmeric Powder        ` -  ½ Ts sp
• Coriander Powder        - 1 Tb sp
• Meat Masala                 -  1 1/2 Tb sp
• Garam Masala               - 1 Ts sp
• Ginger Garlic Paste       - 2 Tb sp
• Coriander(cilantro) n Mint(pudhina) leaves - 1 handful(together)
• Beaten curd                   -1 cup
• Salt                                -to taste

Methods

1. Marinating the mutton:


    1.Clean and cut mutton in medium sized pieces. If you need fat don’t remove fat else remove fat and clean mutton (Remember: mutton won’t be tasty without fat. So please don’t remove entire fat)

    2. To the cleaned mutton add the ingredients in given list,mix it thoroughly and keep the mutton in refrigerator for 3 hours.

2.Cooking the mutton:

• Usually mutton takes more time to cook. So for consuming gas and time we can cook mutton in Pressure cooker.

• Add the marinated mutton in a pressure cooker and add required amount of water(depends on the quantity of your cooker)

• Switch on the stove and wait until steam comes out.

• Put the weight and wait for 3-4 whistles. After that switch off the flame and wait until pressure goes completely.

• When it is cooked you can see all the fat in the mutton as layers on the top.

• If you want carefully remove those fatty layers to another bowl and use this fat (oil)for frying onions, cashews and kismiss(raisins).

• Take another pan heat the fat or oil from the cooked mutton, add cut pieces of 1 large onion, saute  it and make transluscent. Add 1 large diced tomato and saute it. Add 1 ts sp Coriander powder and 1 tsp Garam masala. Since I used all masalas while cooking mutton I’m not adding again. Saute until the raw flavor of masala disappears.If you want more spicy biriyani you can add 2-3 green chillies(slited) to the gravy.

• Add the cooked mutton pieces with gravy to the above pan. Mix it and allow the gravy to become thick

                                                                        Cooked Mutton

 3. Preparing the rice:

• Rice – 2 cups
• Water- 3 cup
• Lime juice of 1 lime

Note:

• Use long, good quality Biriyani rice  for the  preparation,since the rice itself gives a special aroma. 

• For 1 cup of rice take 1 1/2 cup water.It should be mentioned  in the Biriyani Rice packet.So check your rice packet before measuring rice and water.(ratio differs for each rice varieties) 

Spices Used

• Cinnamon – 2 medium sticks                                
• Clove – 6
• Cardamom -2
• Black Pepper – 6
• Bay Leaves – 2
• Star Anise - 1(optional)
• Cumin seeds - a few(optional)

Instructions

• Soak the rice for 20 minutes in water. Wash well till the water runs clear. Drain all the water.

• Boil 3 cups of water in a large vessel(heavy bottom).

• Add all spices which I have listed to the water. Also add required amount of salt to the water.

• When the water gets boil, add all the drained rice with few drops of oil or ghee and   lemon juice(1 full lemon) which helps to reduce the sticking of rice.

• When the rice is half cooked(by that time water will reduce) drain out the rice with all spices to another container and keep aside for layering.

Note

How to check whether rice is half cooked:

• Water is about to drain and rice becomes curve shaped and if we try to break the rice  it will break.

• So this stage of rice is the correct time to drain the half cooked rice

4. Preparing the saffron-milk:

•  Take 1/4th cup warm milk in a cup and dissolve saffron strands in the milk.Use a little bit of red food colour or turmeric instead of saffron for those who don't have saffron.

• Cover and wait for 20 minutes. Add Biriyani essence or Pine apple essence to  the milk for getting more flavor(I didn’t use these essence, Its optional.) . Mix well, cover and keep aside.

  Fried Onions,Golden Raisins,Cashews and our herbs(cilantro n mint)

5.Layering the biryani:

• Take a large heavy bottom pan with tight fitting lid.

• Add 2tbsp ghee or the fat(oil) which we taken from cooked mutton to the pan. Melt the ghee/fat on low heat. Turn and rotate the pan carefully so the ghee can coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Switch off the heat.

• Add a layer of cooked rice, then cooked mutton pieces, sprinkle saffron/colour water, add fried onion slices herbs(cilantro n mint)and ghee/fat.

• Again add a layer of rice, then mutton,fried onions,herbs and ghee...go on like this till you are done. Top and bottom layer will be of rice.

• Cover with chopped mint(pudhina) and cilantro(coriander),fried onions and juice of half a lemon.

• Add the prepared Saffron- milk mixture randomly on the top of rice.

• Put the lid on. Seal the pan with flour dough or aluminium foil, then put the lid. Keep the heat to lowest. And cook the Biriyani in this 'Dum' process for 20-30 minutes.

• Make sure your pan is heavy-bottomed or the rice will burn. Or you can place a flat tawa with some water and then keep the pan on that tawa.

• Instead you can keep the biriyani in a conventional oven at 350°F for 30 minutes for Dum process.

• After 30 minutes switch off the heat and let the biriyani stand for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

• Decorate  plates of rice with fried onions, fried nuts and raisins. Serve with raita, salad, pappad, pickle and a big smile :)  

Try this spicy Mutton biriyani and please leave your comments.

See you soon with another tasty recipe

So until then

Take care,

Happy Cooking :):)