Mughlai mutton biryani

Mughlai food is known for its richness. It is famous for the exotic use of spices, dried fruit and nuts. A regal dish, Mughlai Biryani is fit for a king and was probably eaten by many too! This makes the perfect one-dish meal for when you have company. It combines ingredients typical to the Mughlai style of cooking.

      Ingredients:

      1/2 kg Mutton or chicken (cut into small pieces)

250 gms Rice (parboiled)

Lemon Juice 3 tbsp

10 blanched Almonds (Badam)

2 tbsp Mint Leaves

1 cups Butter

1 handful chopped Coriander Leaves  

1/2 tbsp Cumin Seed

2 large sliced Onion

Salt (to taste)

2 Brown Cardamoms (Elaichi Moti)

2 tbsp Oil

4 pods Garlic  

2 Cloves  

1 " long piece Ginger

1/2 tbsp. Saffron

1/2 tbsp. Green Chilly (Hari Mirch) chopped

1/2 tblsp Red Chili Powder (Lal Mirchi)

1/2 " Cinnamon (Dalchini)

Green whole cardamom 5

White pepper 1/4 tsp

Pinch of Ground nutmeg

Pinch of Ground mace

Bay leaves   2

Curd (Dahi) 1/2 kg

Milk 125 Gms

Water 3 cups

Wheat flour paste enough to seal pan

      Cooking Directions

 First wash and soak rice. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Cook on medium-low heat until golden brown. Remove onions and add mutton to the pan, stirring until brown. Now grind ginger, red chillies, garlic and almonds and fry these in butter and add it to the mutton, now add salt and stir fry for 5 to 8 min. Add cloves, brown cardamoms, green cardamoms, white pepper, bay leaves, Cinnamon, cumin seed, mint leaves, chopped chillies and coriander in drained curd. Now add water and cook on low flame till meat becomes tender and about 1 cup of gravy is left. Add nutmeg and mace. Strain the saffron water and add lemon juice. Add all this to mutton. Boil rice with salt in another pan.

Sprinkle half of the boiled rice over the mutton and then spread a layer of fried onion and then of rice again. Now pour milk and some butter and cover the vessel. Seal the edges of the pan with flour paste. Place the can on flame for one hour.

Serve it very hot with some curry or curd dip.