Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

This recipe is very very special to me. I learnt the famous Hyderabadi Biryani along with the most popular Mirchi Ka Salan served along with this biryani and a few other Hyderabadi dishes from my Hyderabadi maid / caretaker Siddiqui during my stay at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Luckily , I had written all the recipes down (about 6 years back, not knowing that someday I will be having my own cookery website) on my book while Siddiqui cooked and showed me these Hyderabadi specialties. I'm very happy that I found this back book as I misplaced the same while moving recently from Tennessee to Texas. So, stay tuned to some more Hyderabadi specialties! ! Make a note that Hyderabadi Biryani doesn't make use of nuts and raisins for garnishing.
  • Passive
    30 minutes
  • Prep
    30 minutes
  • Cook
    1 Hour
  • Servings
    4 People

Ingredients

Spices To Be Ground:-
  • 1 tsp Shah Zeera
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 8 cloves
  • 3 Cardamoms
For the Meat Marination:-
  • 500 grams Mutton
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder
  • Ground Spice powder (The one mentioned above.)
  • 1 cup Curds
  • 1/4 cup Deep Fried Brown Onion (crushed, see recipe notes below)
  • 1/4 cup Mint leaves ( chopped)
  • 1/4 cup Coriander ( chopped)
  • 4 tbsp Oil (use the oil from the deep fried onion)
For the Biryani Rice:-
  • 2 cup Basmati Rice
  • 2 tbsp Salt
  • 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 Cardamoms
  • 1 Bay leaf
Other Ingredients:-
  • 1/4 cup Oil (to cook mutton)
  • Pinch Saffron , soaked in 2 tbsp milk (or few drops of orange food color)
  • 1/4 cup Deep Fried Brown Onion
  • 1/4 cup Coriander ( chopped)
  • 1/4 cup Mint leaves ( chopped)
  • 3 tbsp Oil (or ghee)

Instructions

Marinate the Meat:-
  • 1 Crush the 'spices to be ground' using a hand pestle-motor. (or use a grinder).
  • 2 Cut meat into 2 inch cubes. Wash the meat. Add salt and lemon juice.
  • 3 Add rest of the ingredients from turmeric powder till the oil mentioned under 'For the Meat Marination' ingredients list.
  • 4 Mix well. Keep aside for at least 30 minutes or preferable overnight.
Prepare the Rice:-
  • 5 Wash the rice. Soak Biryani rice for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • 6 In a vessel, add sufficient water (to cook rice). Add the salt, spices and bay leaf mentioned under 'For the Biryani Rice' ingredients list. Let the water come to a boil.
  • 7 Drain soaked rice and add to boiling water and check till rice cooks about 80%.
  • 8 Drain the rice immediately in a colander.
Cook Meat & Assemble Biryani Rice:-
  • 9 In a vessel, add the 1/4 cup oil. Add the marinated mutton.
  • 10 Cover and cook till mutton is well cooked.
  • 11 Spread the rice over the mutton from the colander. Add the saffron, crushed onion , coriander , mint and the oil (or ghee) mentioned under 'other ingredients ' list. Cover and cook on HIGH flame for 5 minutes and then very LOW flame for 10 minutes. Put off the flame. Let biryani rest on the cooking range for next 30 minutes before you mix and serve.
  • 12 Open the lid of vessel.(after about 20-30 minutes).
  • 13 Gently mix the rice and the meat well.
  • 14 Serve .
  • 15 Usually , the Hyderabadi Biryani is served with Mirchi Ka Salan. (See recipe notes below for the recipe link).

Recipe Notes

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