Malabar Mutton Biriyani recipe

Malabar Mutton Biriyani 

Hi friends,

                    Mutton Biriyani was  my first recipe for this blog.But this time i made a variety biriyani in Malabar style.We all know Biriyani is most famous in Malabar region especially Thalassery biriyani. Its  a delicious spicy full course meal.In Kerala Malabar biriyani is famous for its authentic spicy aroma and taste.They are using more green chillies and cilantro and mint leaves for extra taste. Especially it is served for marriages and other functions among Christians and Muslims in Kerala.In Kottayam, mutton is commonly used as a  gravy dish for ' Palappam'  as Mutton stew.Let's go through the detailed explanation for this biriyani.

Prep Time : 20 mins 

 Cook Time : 1 hour 
 Serves: 4                                                                 

 Recipe Category: Rice dish-Main Course
 Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
 Author:Riya Tiju

Ingredients

• Mutton                              - 1 Kg
• Chilli powder                   -    1 Tb sp
• Turmeric Powder        `  -  ½ Tsp
• Meat Masala                      -  1 1/2 Tb sp
• Garam Masala                  - 1 Ts sp
• Ginger Garlic Paste         - 1 Tb sp
• Coriander & Mint leaves  - 1 handful
• Beaten curd                        -1 Tb sp
• Salt                                       -to taste

Method

1. Marination:

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

2.Cooking:

• 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 a layer on the top.Allow this mutton to cool by keeping aside.When it's cooled,the fat becomes solid and is easily visible as yellow in color.
• Take out these fatty layers to another pan and use this fat (oil)for frying onions and tomatoes for mutton gravy.
• For preparing mutton gravy,slice 1 large onion, saute  it and cook transluscent. Add 1 large diced tomato and saute it.Reduce the flame and add 1 tsp Biriyani masala powder(optional) or 1 tsp Garam masala powder. 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.

Thick Mutton gravy 

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

• Rice – 2 cups

• Water- 3 cups

• Lime juice of 1 lime

• Use long, good quality Biriyani rice  for the  preparation,since the rice itself gives a special aroma. Also if you are making Thalassery Biriyani,use Jeerakashala rice which gives the authentic Thalassery flavor.

• 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).

• Also wash the rice before soaking,otherwise rice will break while washing.

• Here i used normal Basmati rice.

                                                  

 3. Preparing the rice:

Note:

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

• Wash and  rinse the rice  until the water becomes clear and soak it for 20-30 minutes.

• 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.

half cooked non sticky Basmati 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 color 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  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 mutton pieces, then half cooked rice, sprinkle saffron/colour water, add fried onion slices herbs(cilantro n mint)and ghee/fat.

• Again add a layer of mutton with gravy, then rice,fried onions,chopped herbs and ghee...go on like this untill you are done.

• Cover with chopped mint(pudhina) and cilantro(coriander),fried onions and 1Tsp of ghee to the sides of the pan.

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

• 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 minutes in low flame.

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

• Instead you can keep the biriyani in a conventional oven at 150°F for 20 minutes for Dum process.

• After 20 minutes switch off the heat and let the biriyani stand for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

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

Note

• Double the quantity of rice,mutton and masala as per your needs.

Try this spicy Mutton biriyani and i really appreciate your  comments.

See you soon with another tasty recipe.

So until then 

Bye Bye

Riya

Kottayam Kitchen