LAMB/MUTTON BIRYANI or GOSHT KI PAKKI DUM BIRYANI!!

Another B for Biryani....this time a flavoursome Lamb chucks cooked in spices till succulent, then layered with rice and cooked air tight for 30mins.

And by the time those 30mins are gone...your entire house would be filled with the most amazing aroma of spices. This would tempt you to open the lid and scoop out straight into your mouth from the stove. Please Beware: “This is an extremely hazardous act since you will end up burning your taste buds and leading a flavourless life at least for a week!” (Guaranteed out of personal experienceJ)

For pictorial references of initial process of preparing the gravy, please refer to my previous Biryani post. The difference here is we are cooking the meat and rice separately and then together in dum till flavours infuse into the rice.

The credits for this recipe go to one of my aunts. I’ll call her Aunt Sh. She makes awesome Lamb Biryani.

Ingredients: (serves 3 to 4 depending on how much u plan to eat J)

Rice- 3 ½ cups of basmati or kaima rice

Water - 7cups for cooking rice (Ratio of rice: water is 1:2 cups)

Mutton/Lamb - 1kg with bones, washed and drained

Onion- 6 medium sized finely sliced

Garlic- 15 cloves coarsely ground

Ginger- 1 piece (4 inches) coarsely ground

Tomato- 3 medium size finely chopped

Green chillies- 8 to 10 coarsely ground

Mint leaves- 1 bunch finely chopped

Coriander leaves/cilantro - 1 bunch finely chopped

Garam masala - 3 teaspoons (use freshly ground for best taste)

Ghee (Indian clarified butter) - 3 tablespoon

Milk- 3 tablespoon

Lime juice- from 1 whole lime

For Grinding into paste:

Poppy seeds- 1 teaspoon

Cashew nuts- 7 whole

Black Cumin Seeds/ Shahi Jeera - 1heaped teaspoon

Cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon

Fresh Grated Coconut - 1 heaped tablespoon

Yogurt- 1 tablespoon

Whole Spices required:

Fennel seeds- ¼ teaspoon (Rice)

Cinnamon stick- 4 pieces of 1 inch each (2 for rice)

Clove- 6 (2 for rice)

Green cardamom- 2 (rice)

Mace- 1 piece (rice)

Aniseed- 2 small piece

Bay leaf- 2 (1 for rice)

Garnish:

Oil for frying

Onion- 1 medium finely sliced

Cashew nuts- 10

Raisins- 15

Method:

Korma for Biryani:

1.       Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in water for ½ an hour. Use very little water.

2.       Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel with a heavy lid and is big enough to hold rice and meat.

3.       Toss in whole spices and let the aroma come out.

4.       Add onion and salt. Cook till onion is transparent and moisture is reduced. Reduce flame to medium low.

5.       Add freshly ground ginger and garlic and sauté till the onion is well done (at the verge of turning golden).

6.       In goes the tomato and green chilli. Now let the mixture cook till tomato gets mushy.

7.       Next toss in chopped mint and coriander leaves. Cover lid and cook for ten minutes.

8.       Add meat pieces and mix well into gravy, covering pieces in gravy generously. Adjust salt to taste.

9.       Mix in 2tbsps of yogurt.

10.   Now put the lid on and cook on medium heat till water content from meat comes out.

11.   Grind the poppy seeds and other ingredients listed into a fine thick paste. Take care not to add excess water.

12.   Add it to the meat and mix well. Let it cook on medium low heat with lid on till meat is partially cooked.

13.   The remove lid and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for it to cook well. Don’t add any extra water. Let the water content reduce to minimum.

14.   Add lime juice and garam masala powder a few minutes before switching off the gravy.

Rice for biryani:

1.       Soak rice in water for 3 hours. Drain completely of water.

2.       Boil seven cups of water and keep read before the following step.

3.       Heat 2tbsp ghee in a vessel and add whole spices (indicated in ingredients).

4.       Once aroma starts lingering, add rice and stir fry till almost transparent.

5.       Add water and salt. When you taste the salt content of water should be a little more than required. Only then will the rice be perfectly seasoned.

6.       Cover with lid and cook on medium low heat till water is almost evaporated. Switch off and leave with lid for few mins.

Dum:

1.       Remove the meat and gravy into a bowl.

2.       Spread a thin layer of rice at the bottom of cooking vessel.

3.       Add a layer of meat generously covered in gravy.

4.       Layer the rice and meat alternately into equal layers finishing with a layer of rice.

5.       Sprinkle milk all over the last layer.

6.       Put the lid on. If it’s loose, spread a kitchen towel on the mouth of the vessel before putting the lid on. This will make it air tight and moisture wont escape.

7.       Heat on a low flame for 30mins.

Garnish:

1.       Meanwhile, heat oil to deep fry items for garnish.

2.       Deep fry onions till brown. 

3.       Next fry cashews till golden.

4.       And last raisins for just a minute.

5.       When the biryani is ready, mix the rice and meat slowly from one side into a serving dish.

6.       Garnish and serve steaming hot. Accompaniments of choice would be a raita or yogurt salad. In the picture, I have served yogurt with chopped green chillies and pomegranate seeds garnished with a whole star anise.

Though , personally, this is one dish you really don’t need accompaniments for. Just eat straight out of the big biryani vessel J *Drroooool.....!!!!!*

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