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

• Deep fry sliced onion- about 3 large Onions.
• Click here for Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe.