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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