MUTTON DUM BIRYANI- CANNOT GET BETTER THAN THIS!!!

I THINK THE LESS SAID THE BETTER FOR THIS WORLD RENOWNED DISH.IT NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION,ORIGINATING IN PERSIA AND TOOK MANY TURNS TO ARRIVE IN INDIA.THE WORD ‘BIRYANI’ ORIGINATES FROM THE PERSIAN WORD ‘BIRIAN’ MEANING “ FRY BEFORE COOKING”.TO MAKE BIRYANI ,MUTTON IS FRIED IN GHEE AND PAR- COOKED,COOKED(PAKKI YAKHNI) OR THE MUTTON IS KEPT RAW MARINATED IN YOGURT AND SPICES( KACCHI YAKHNI).THE RICE IS PAR -COOKED SEPARATELY.THE RICE ABD MEAT ARE THEN LAYERED IN A COOK WARE. THE COOKWARE IS SEALED TIGHTLY WITH WHEAT FLOUR DOUGH AND DUM COOKED( SLOW OR BAKED METHOD) ON A VERY LOW HEAT.

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS VARIANTS OF THIS DISH IS THE “HYDERABADI BIRYANI “,ORIGINATING IN HYDERABAD,INFLUENCED BY THE MUGHALS.

THERE ARE MANY VARIETIES OF BIRYANI,Ex:LUCKNOWI BIRYANI ,AWADHI BIRYANI ,TEHARI BIRYANI,MALABARI BIRYANI  AND THE INGREDIENTS USED TOO VARIES AS IN THE “VEG-BIRYANI “,”PRAWNS BIRYANI “,”EGG - BIRYANI “.

THE SLOW COOKED METHOD GIVES AN AMAZING FLAVOUR AND TASTE TO THE  DISH .

RECIPE CARD:
Cooking Time: Approx 40mins
Preparation time:20 mins
Serves::6 Persons. 

Ingredients:
For yakhni

• Mutton- 1 kg 
• Yoghurt/Dahi -300 gms 
• Red chilli powder/Lal mirch - 2 tsp  
• Garam masala powder/ Whole spiced powder-1 1/2tsp  
• Ginger n garlic paste/ Adrak lahsan - 4 tsp  
• Corriander/ Dhanya(chopped)- 1 bunch  
• Mint/Pudina(chopped)- 1 small bunch  
• Onions/Piyaz-4 no ( thinly sliced)
• Turmeric powder/Haldi-1/4 tsp  
• Oil for deep frying onions 
• Juice of 1 lemon /Nimbu
• Salt /Namak to taste 

For rice:

• Wole garam masala-1"cinnamon stick,8 cardamom
• Basmati rice-750gms
• Ghee-1/2 cup, 
• Saffron strands-10 -15 strands dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk 
• Saffron color-1/4 tsp ( optional)
• Few mint leaves 
• salt to taste 

Cooking Method:

• Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.  
• In a deep pan fry the onions till golden brown .Remove  and keep aside.
• Clean and wash the lamb meat 
• I cooked the mutton in half cup of water and salt till 3/4 th cooked and dry .
• In the par cooked mutton add all the curd, ginger and garlic paste ,red chilli powder, turmeric,garam masala ,chopped mint and corriander leaves, fried onions,salt and lemon juice . Add 3 tbsp oil (in which onions were fried) and Mix well and keep aside for at least half an hour
• In a separate deep vessel put water(for 1 cup rice-4 cups water->this ratio is very good and the rice grains are well cooked n dont stick together),the whole garam masala ,mint leaves and salt,bring it to a boil and then put the rice,cook till 3/4th cooked.strain the rice.
•  Now for the finale,grease the vessel with ghee put the mutton layer and then the rice,saffron color and saffron milk and melted ghee. I covered the vessel with aluminium foil to seal properly .Cook  on medium flame for just 5 mins,and then on a very sim flame(u can use a pan n then put the vessel on it to slow cook it) for about 15 -20 mins.
• As the mutton was par cooked it takes less time else raw mutton takes a longer time .This method ensures the mutton is cooked properly.
• While serving mix the rice n mutton layer lightly else the rice grain will break.
•  Serve Hot with Curd