Eid Recipe: Reshma's Quick And Easy Mutton Biryani

A celebration of Eid isn't over till the last morsel of that special, homewallah Mutton Biryani has been had.

Reshma Aslam carefully guides you through a precise, but uncomplicated classic recipe for a terrific-tasting Mutton Biryani

"Few dishes capture the soul of Indian cooking like a pungent, slow-cooked mutton biryani," says Reshma. "Rich spices, tender mutton and expertly-layered rice together create a one-dish divine feast."

"If you love deep flavours and melt-in-the-mouth meat, this mutton biryani is worth every minute of the time taken to make it. I call it my Quick And Easy Mutton Biryani."

Quick And Easy Mutton Biryani For Perfect Eid

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 500 gm biryani rice or basmati rice
• 500 gm mutton
• 1 cup half-fried, sliced onions
• ¼ cup oil or ghee
• 200 gm thick yoghurt
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 1½ tsp brown dhania or coriander powder
• ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp biryani masala
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 2 potatoes, peeled cut into half
• 2-3 handfuls fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
• 4-5 lavang or cloves
• 2-inch stick dalcheeni or cinnamon
• 2-3 bari elaichi or cardamom
• Salt to taste, about 2-3 tsp
• Juice of ½ of a lime
• ½ tsp kewra or screwpine essence
• Water
• Yellow food colouring, optional

Method

For the rice:

• Wash the rice well, 2-3 times and drain the excess water.
  In a bowl, add fresh water and the washed rice and keep aside, letting the rice soak for 30 minutes or so.
• In a large saucepan or a kadhai, add in 5-6 cups water, 1-2 tsp salt, 2 of the cloves, ½ tsp of the cumin seeds and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  Add a few drops lime juice, the kewra essence.
  Add the soaked rice and cook over low to medium heat, till 80 per cent done.
  Strain and keep aside.

For the mutton:

• Wash the mutton thoroughly and drain very well.
  Add the mutton to a large container and then add 1-2 tsp salt, yoghurt, half-fried onions, half of the chopped green coriander, biryani masala and mix well.
  Let the mutton marinate for a couple of hours or ideally overnight in the fridge.
• In a pressure cooker, over medium heat, warm up the oil/ghee, remaining ½ tsp cumin seeds, remaining 2 cloves, cinnamon, cardamom till aromatic.
  Now add the ginger-garlic paste, potatoes and fry for two minutes.
  Next add the marinated mutton mixture and pressure cook over hight heat for 5 minutes.
  Turn the heat down and cook for 15 minutes more, till the mutton is 70 per cent done.

Layering

• In another large saucepan or a kadhai, add all of the cooked mutton to form the bottom layer.
  Above that, add the partially pre-cooked rice.
  Garnish with remaining chopped green coriander and few drops yellow food colouring to give a restaurant-style effect.

For the dum

• Seal the top of the saucepan with aluminium foil and cover with a heavy lid.
  Cook over low heat for about 20-25 minutes.
  Take off heat, fluff gently with a fork and serve/plate it up.

• REDIFF FOOD