Mutton/Lamb Biryani
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Indian Food
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
45 minutes
My go-to recipe for meat biryani. Layers of meat and rice, flavored with lots of fried onions and drizzled with saffron. This dish is a real treat and worth the time spent to make it.
Author:Audra Reddy
Ingredients
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2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch squares (with bone is best)
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1/2 cup - 3/4 cup yogurt (more if needed to marinate the lamb)
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1/2 teaspoon turmeric
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
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2 T. ghee or butter
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2 T. oil
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1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
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1 bay leaf
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5 cloves
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1 piece of cinnamon stick
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2 green cardamom pods
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3 onions, sliced thick
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1 T. ginger garlic paste
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3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
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1 teaspoon chili powder
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1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
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1/2 teaspoon garam masala
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1/2 cup whole milk
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1/4 cup water
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3 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked
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8 cups water
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1 bay leaf
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4 cloves
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1 inch piece cinnamon stick
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2 green cardamom pods
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2 T. salt
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1 teaspoon ghee or butter
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2 cups crispy fried onions (purchased from the Indian store) or thinly sliced onions cooked for 45 minutes in 3 T. melted butter).
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1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
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1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
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2 T. warm ghee
Lamb Marinade
Lamb Masala
Basmati Rice
Biryani Layering
Directions
Lamb Marinade
Rinse lamb and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the yogurt, turmeric, salt. Put lamb in a large bowl and pour in yogurt mixture. Mix until the lamb is coated with the yogurt mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Lamb Masala
Add ghee and oil to a large pressure cooker ( or Instant Pot) and turn on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom. Fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add sliced onions and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until fragrant - 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft, about 2 minutes.
Add marinated lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes until the meat starts turning brown.
Add the chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Fry and stir to combine. If you like spice, add 1-3 green chilis at this point.
Now add the milk and water and stir until well mixed. Tightly seal the lid and pressure cook on medium for 25-30 minutes. The lamb will be tender - but should not fall apart.
Basmati Rice
Wash the rice and soak for 30 minutes before cooking.
Add water, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and ghee to a large pot. Turn to high heat. Bring the water to a boil and then add the rice and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Test the rice to make sure it still has a bite to it. The rice will continue to cook more when it cooks with the lamb. Drain the rice and set aside.
Saffron Milk
Crush 10-12 strands of saffron in a small bowl and add 2 T. hot milk. Set aside to infuse.
Biryani Layering
Add mutton masala to a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan on low heat. Sprinkle 1 cup fried onions over the meat. Now add the chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
Add the drained basmati rice and spread evenly over the meat. Add another cup of fried onions over the rice.
Using a spoon, drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. Next drizzle the hot ghee. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and let this cook on low for 20 minutes. Turn off the burner and let rest for 10 minutes.
Uncover and serve while hot. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Ensure each serving gets a layer of everything. Serve with raita.
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