Mutton Biryani

Biryani is an all time favorite dish for all of us. No festival gets complete without biryani. In our side they are served with Dalcha, sour pachidi, sweet pachidi, fried chicken, raita, boiled egg n kheer.
 Before marriage I thought making biryani is difficult one. But to tell the truth it is really, you need to work hard for getting the perfect recipe for the perfect biryani, but no need to toil for making a perfect biryani. I still remember the first biryani I made( still a nightmare!!!!) then in this four years Ive tried to make the perfect biryani by trying out so many recipes, but couldnt come up with my hubby's expectations, he likes biryani with no masala n light coloured. Then once I tasted the Biryani in my friends house, we at first thought they ordered from a hotel but then we came to know that my friends mom made them at home.
I immediately got the recipe n tried at home, it came out perfectly, n I tried out many variations, changing the spices differently n each time I got the perfect biryani. Got rave reviews for my biryani from my relatives too. Very very happy now.  This biryani calls for very simple ingredients n no ghee at all.You can substitute them with chicken, fish, prawn, quail for mutton you will get the perfect biryani. I will share with you the other types of biryani later. Do try this recipe you will definitely like it.

A few tips on making a perfect one:
Always grind the ginger n garlic paste fresh when you make the biryani.
Grind them little coarsely, so that it will not stick to the bottom of the pan.
The cup used here is the standard cup used for measurement.
Use a wide pan to make Biryani.
The meat has to more then the rice suppose you are using 500gms rice 600 mutton is to be used
Adding enough oil is the trick to make the perfect one. No need to add ghee at all.
Add salt while frying the onion it will not only make the onions fry faster, you will get the perfect consistency
The lemon juice in the Biryani is necessary only if you feel the sourness from the tomatoes n curd is less otherwise no need to add lemon juice.
Dont mix the rice too much, it will break n you will not get the beauty of the basmati rice.You should mix them only when you mix in the gravy that too with the back of a thin spoon giving one clockwise round.
Use Fork for the the final mix in order not to break the rice.
Always wash n soak the rice for thirty minutes.
Making Biryani is completely based on eye calculation. The amount of ingredients may more or less for each individual.So keep that in mind when making them.
Marinating the meat is completely optional, If you want marinate them overnight in a mixture of buttermilk, little ginger garlic paste. This will help the meat cook faster n more tender. If you are not marinating them then add extra water to cook the mutton well.
I marinated the 600gm mutton with 175ml buttermilk n 1tsp ginger n garlic paste for this biryani. Remove them from the marinate n wash them before adding to the biryani.

Sending them to Akheela's Festive Rice event n to Umm Mymoonah's Any one can cook event
Serves 4-5 people
You need:
Mutton                                          600gms
Onion (thinly sliced)                       2cup
Tomato( medium, chopped)           3-4 nos
Ginger paste                                   1 1/2tbsp
Garlic paste                                    1 2/3tbsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)             3/4cup
Pudina leaves( chopped)                 1/2cup
Green Chilli (slit)                              4-5nos
Curd                                               1cup
Water                                             3cup
Lemon juice                                    1tbsp(optional)
Chilli powder                                   1/2tbsp
Turmeric powder                             1/2tsp
Oil                                                    1/2- 3/4cup
Cardamom, Clove                            3nos each
Cinnamon                                         a small piece
Basmati Rice                                     2 1/2cup or 500gms aprox
Salt
For Garnish:
Onion (thinly sliced)                          1 1/4cup
Oil                                                    2 1/2tbsp
Milk 1/4cup mixed with yellow food colour/ saffron    

               

Preparation:
Fry the onions given for garnish till they are golden brown n crisp.
If you want to marinate the mutton do them overnight as give above, remove them just before cooking, wash them well , Drain the water.
Wash n soak the rice for thirty minutes. Drain them.
Boil plenty of water in a big saucepan with enough salt, when it bubbling hot add the rice n when the rice is half cooked drain them , retain the hot water for making dum.
Meanwhile on the other side  heat oil in the pan you are going to make the biryani n add the cinnamon, cardamom n clove, n fry them for 20 seconds, add the onion n salt n fry till they turn translucent n golden on the outer edges, no need to fry them till brown n crisp.

Add the garlic paste n fry for 30 seconds, then add ginger paste n fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the green chilli n coriander leaves n fry for 30 seconds.
Add the Mutton pieces n fry for 5 minutes.
Add the pudina leaves n fry for 30 seconds.
Now add the Tomato, chilli powder n turmeric powder n fry till the onions softens n the mixture forms into a gravy n oil seperates.Wisk the curd well n add to the masala, add water, check the salt, hotness n sourness of the masala.
If its less add enough salt, slit green chilli n lemon juice according to taste. Cover the vessel n cook till the meat has become tender n the masala has reduced. If the mutton is still hard add more water n cook till soft.
Since the rice is half cooked, you need about 2 n 1/2 cup of gravy. So see that the gravy is about 2 1/2cups n mutton is cooked well.

Now add the half cooked rice n give a light mix with the back of the slotted spoon. S
Sprinkle the fried onions. n the milk mixture all over the rice mixture Cover them with Aliminium foil/ News papaer, place a tight fitting lid on top n place the hot water vessel( retained from cooking rice), Keep the flame in sim n Dum cook for 30-40 minutes.
After that remove the foil n lightly toss them with fork
Serve hot!!!

Thanks friends for patiently reading the  long post, hope its useful for even beginers ,if you have any doubts feel free to ask me