Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients needed for the recipe Mutton Biryani
 
For rice
4 cups Basmati rice
1/2  cup ghee
whole garam masala- 2 cardamoms, 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp saffron strands.
4-5 green chilli
Salt to taste

For the Gravy
1/2 cup Oil
2 cups onion,  finely sliced
1 cup tomato, chopped( optional)
2 tbsps mint leaves chopped
2 tbsps coriander leaves chopped

Marinade
1 kilo mutton, cut into chunks ( Medium sized pieces)
3 tbsps ginger paste
3 tbsps garlic paste
1 cup fresh curds
2 tsps chilli powder
salt to taste
Half the quantity of the dry roasted ingredients

Dry roast and powder the following ingredients
green cardamom - 3 nos
cloves -6 nos
cinnamon - a small stick
peppercorn - 5 nos
coriander seeds -1/2 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
shah jeera - 1/4 tsp

How to prepare the Mutton gravy for Biriyani?
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Spread all over the mutton pieces and leave it for half an hour at least.
Heat the oil in a thick bottomed vessel or in a pressure pan big enough to hold 1 kilo mutton. Add sliced onions to the pan and fry till it gets golden.
Add  mint, coriander leaves and the meat along with the marinating mix and fry for 2 or 3 minutes till it starts changing colour.
Pressure cook till meat is done. When cool, open the cooker, add the tomatoes. Again put it on fire till the mutton gravy gets thicker and the pieces are just coated with masala.

How to prepare the rice for Biriyani?
Soak the rice for half an hour before cooking and drain off the water.
Heat oil in a pan and add the garam masala items and chillies. Saute for 2 minutes till the chillies turn colour.
Add 6 cups of water, salt and bring it to boil. When the water starts boiling add rice and cook till rice is almost done.
In a serving dish, arrange the rice and the meat masala in layers.
Spread a layer of the rice, spoon the meat masala, just follow till all the meat masala and then finish it off with the layer of rice.
Sprinkle with the prepared dry spice powder (the half that was left) at this point and you can sprinkle little red orange food colour dissolved in a tsp of water or milk over the layered rice.
Bake in a micro oven for a few minutes till the whole thing is blended well and a nice aroma fills the place.
Garnish with deep fried onion, cashew nuts and sliced hard boiled eggs and with chopped coriander leaves on top.

Points to Note while preparing biriyani
If you don't want to use tomatoes add 2 tbsps of lime juice just before baking it in the microwave or putting it back on the stove for dum.
Serve hot with  Cucumber Raita, Onion Raita,  Chicken 65 or chicken fry will be a combination with this Biryani, along with Raitas and Salads.