Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Biryani is such a comforting dish with a perfect blend of right spices. There's an interesting story on how the  Biryani was born. In ancient times when the kings went on wars they used to set camps after the sun sets. On the camp sites the nawabi chefs didn't have enough resources to make a king size meal that has ten different dishes. Then the chefs created this biryani, which is a blend of meat, aromatic spices, nuts and rice, a one pot satisfying meal. There are a number of methods to make biryani. Two basic methods are Paki biryani and Kachchi biryani. Paki meaning cooked, Kachchi meaning raw. In the Paki biryani the meat is cooked first and then layered with rice. In Kachchi biryani the meat and rice are cooked together in an earthen pot called Handi. The lid on the pot is sealed tight with a dough, the steam inside the pot helps the meat and rice cook. The steam is called the dum in Hindi, hence the name Dum Biryani. Hyderabad, a region in South India is famous for Kachchi Biryani.
      Biryani can be made with a variety of meats like chicken, goat meat, lamb, fish or even fried vegetables. After number of failures, I found this recipe easy to make and the results are satisfactory. The leftover biryani tastes even better. Enjoy!!


Ingredients:
Tender goat meat - 1 lb, cut into 1" pieces
Basmati rice - 3/4 lb
Onions - 4 medium, slice
Ginger garlic paste - 4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Garam masala powder - 3 tsp
Nut meg powder - 1/8 tsp
Meat tenderizer - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Green chillies - 4
Shahi jeera(black cumin) - 2tsp
Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 2
Yogurt - 3 cups
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Milk - ½ cup
Saffron food color - 2 pinches
Oil - 8tbsp
Ghee - 4tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

   1. Rinse and soak the basmati rice for at least 40 minutes.

   2. Wash the cut mutton pieces clean and drain the water well.

   3. In a kadai, pour some oil enough for deep frying. Deep fry the onions to golden brown and crispy. Put them aside to cool.

   4. In a bowl, mix the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, meat tenderizer, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, 6 tbsp oil, 2tbsp lemon juice and the yogurt. Mix this marinade well.

   5. To this add some of the fried onions, and add some of the coriander and mint leaves Crush the onions and the coriander and mint leaves as you mix.

   6. Add the mutton pieces to this mixture and mix well. Add the slit green chillies to it. Cover it and let it marinate for at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight in a refrigerator).

   7. Now take a big bowl of water and let it boil, to this add shahi jeera, the nutmeg powder, remaining 2tbsp oil, cashew nuts, the bay leaves and salt. Check for the salt before you add the rice. The water should taste like sea water. As soon as the water comes to a boil add the drained rice. You can see that the rice starts to dance in the water, which is when you drain the rice from the hot water. Make sure all the water is well drained. Put this aside.

   8. Now to the bowl you are going to make the biryani, apply some oil/butter. (I prefer a non-stick bowl that is deep enough, to make this kachchi biryani) Then arrange all the marinated mutton pieces, so that it covers the bottom of the bowl.

   9. Add some fried onions on the meat, some mint and coriander leaves, and drizzle some lemon juice on top of it.

  10. Now layer the rice over the meat and spread it well. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions, lemon juice, mint and coriander leaves over the rice.

  11. In a small cup, dissolve the saffron food color in water. Add this saffron solution to the milk, mix well and spread this over the rice.

  12. Now pour the ghee on the rice.

  13. Cover the bowl with a tight lid so that the air doesn’t escape. I put the chapati dough around the lid to seal it tight.

  14. Put it on a high flame for 10 minutes, reduce the flame to the lowest number and let it cook for another 30 minutes. You can smell the aroma when it is done.

  15. Serve hot with raita, mirchi ka salan, or any non-vegetarian gravy. Garnish with sliced vegetables and a lemon wedge.

 Tasty Tips:

   1. Make sure the lid is properly sealed. If there is any air escape, it dries out the moisture from the rice and   the meat. If the meat dries out it is burnt and tastes bitter.
   2. Make sure the rice is not over cooked.
   3. The pot in which you are making the biryani should be a thick bottom pot. If not place a pan underneath the pot and put it on the stove.
   4. To know more about meat tenderizers please check my mutton fry recipe.

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani