The Biryani basically consists of two parts, the rice and the meat which may be chicken, mutton or lamb. It is the blending of the spices that will differentiate the good biryani from the absolutely delicious.
There are a million biryani recipes, each claiming to be the very best. But most are tedious and time consuming. Here is one that can be made in an hour.
Indian Spices
The spices of India have played an important part in world history. Christopher Columbus was on his way to find a shorter sea route to India when he accidentally discovered the American continent.
Spices have various uses. They add flavor and aroma to food, they have medicinal properties, and some are used as preservatives while other are used as perfumes. They are used in the forms of dried seeds (cumin, aniseed), leaves (basil, bay leaf), flowers (vanilla, kokum), barks (cinnamon), roots (turmeric, ginger), fruits (nutmeg) and certain spices are ground and used in the powder forms. Each spice has a distinct flavor and aroma and it's best to experience them to help learn exactly which to mix into a specific dish.
Ingredients for Making Mutton Biryani
For marinating mutton
- 1 kg tender mutton in small pieces
- 4 large onions, cut finely and deep fried to a crisp
- ¼ kg coriander
- A handful mint leaves
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1-2 green chilies
- 1 cup yogurt
- 5 green cardamoms
- 5 cloves
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tsp black cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
For Biryani
- ¾ kg basmati rice
- 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 liters water
- 2 large onions
- A pinch of saffron
- 1 glass milk
Method for Preparing Mutton Biryani
- Grind the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and pepper to a powder.
- Blend the coriander, mint and green chilies with the yogurt.
- Put the mutton in a large bowl and add the yogurt mix, spice powder and the rest of the ingredients for the marination.
- Leave overnight. Marinating the meat will make it tender and will allow the flavors to soak in.
- Keep the water to boil in a large vessel.
- Wash the rice and add to the boiling water. Remove and drain the rice when half cooked.
- Take a large heavy bottomed vessel. Pour in half the melted butter.
- Slice the onions into rings and place at the bottom.
- Put in half the rice into the pot. Place half the marinated mutton on it and cover with a layer of fried onions.
- Repeat the step so that now there are two layers of rice, mutton and onions.
- Warm the milk with saffron. Pour the milk over the layers.
- Add the butter.
- Close a lid over the vessel and seal the edges with foil so that none of the steam and aroma is allowed to escape.
- Cook for half an hour on low heat.
- Turn off the heat and let the sealed pot stand for fifteen minutes before opening it.
- Mix the layers before serving.
Mutton biryani goes well with a crisp green salad and yogurt.
Most of the Indian recipes call for a greater quantity of spices and chilies but for those who are not used to Indian cuisine it is best to use them in moderation.
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