Spice and Tradition: Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani is a one pot dish prepared from Basmati rice & minced mutton. For the people of Pakistan, it would indeed be a perfect composition of traditions, prayers and of course, a scrumptious meal. A scrumptious dish which becomes a star in this joyful event is undoubtedly the flavorsome Mutton Biryani. Here’s a glimpse into crafting this delightful Mutton Biryani recipe for your celebrations: Here’s a glimpse into crafting this delightful Mutton Biryani recipe for your celebrations: 

Ingredients

For the Marinated Mutton: 

• ½ kg (1 lb) mutton pieces (with bone)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying
• For the Rice:
• 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking
• For the Garnishing:
• Fried onions
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves
• Saffron strands (soaked in warm milk, optional)

Instructions

Marinate the Mutton:

Mix mutton pieces in a bowl with ginger-garlic paste, red chili, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder, yogurt, lemon juice & salt. Blend properly and let it sit in the marinade for not less than 4 hours, the longer the better to help in tenderizing the meat.

Cook the Rice:

For boiling, put cloves, bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and salt in a pot of boiling water. After that, remove the water from the basmati rice and pour them into the pot. Prepare the rice as you would normally cook it but ensure the rice is 80% done, or al dente. Pour off the liquid from the rice, and put the rice aside. 

Fry the Mutton 

Heat oil in a pan or pressure cooker which should preferably be a heavy bottomed one so that it would distribute heat evenly. Grill or pan-fry the pieces until they take a nice golden-brown to seal in the flavours from the marinade. Take the mutton out of the pan and place it aside. 

Building the Biryani

On the same pan or pressure cooker add a layer of the cooked rice. Dollop the fried mutton pieces on top of it. Layer it again and the final layer should be a layer of rice. 

The Seal of Flavor

For the final step, add hot saffron milk if using to it and ghee or oil on the top layer of the rice. Put the lid on the pot well and tightly. 

The Dum Cooking

If you are employing a pressure cooker then the recommended cook time is 15-20 minutes after the first whistle. In a pot, simmer the mutton and rice for 30-40 minutes, or when the rice is have been fully cooked and the mutton is tender. 

The Grand Reveal

Once the biryani is cooked, do not open it immediately to allow the grains to absorb the steam, set aside for another 10-15 minutes. Fork the rice lightly before serving to make it fluffy. 

Presentation is Key

To decorate Mutton Biryani, we can fry onions and keep them aside to sprinkle on top of the prepared food and also, cut green chilies into fine pieces and decorate the top of Mutton Biryani with that coriander leaves. You may also accompany it with a few drops of saffron in warm milk on the side for that royal feeling. 

Tips: Ideally, it is best to use high-Q basmatic rice to get the desired and perfect taste we need. Optional ingredients that you can use are: – Caramelised onions can also be used when layering the biryani for that extra flavour. This recipe is fairly hot as it is; you should be able to taste chili powder in every bite if you are using the recommended serving size. Some other vegetables like peas, carrots supplements the biryani making it more attractive in color. Mutton Biryani is a time-consuming dish- one that expresses the essence of Celebrations perfectly. Thus, this Eid, call your dear ones, taste the burst of flavors in this familiar dish and rejoice in the essence of unity.

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