Few weeks ago, Nazneen of Coffee and Crumpets posted baghare baingan and since then I was thinking to make hyderabadi biryani. Both these dishes are often served together because they complement each other so well. My husband introduced me to these classic hyderabadi dishes just after few days of our marriage. He knew that I was a non vegetarian and liked rice dishes, so he took me to an upscale restaurant that specializes in different cuisines. Quite frankly, although my family was a non vegetarian, my mother never cooked any meat dishes herself. The only time meat was cooked in our home when men did the cooking and it was mostly curry or dry meat cooked in clay tandoor.
So, it was my first time trying biryani and I was completely hooked from the first bite. Never have I eaten such succulent meat pieces in intensely aromatic rice served with yogurt raita and baghare baingan. I liked both the dishes but never thought of making it myself until I ate it again at a friend’s house. I share with you today her version of hyderabadi mutton biryani, which now I have been cooking for several years with goat meat. Everyone has their own special method of making it but some of the ingredients are standard that all hyderabadi biryanis have. I also made baghare baingan to go with it, following Nazneen’s recipe but cooked in a slightly different way.
There are two ways to prepare hyderabadi biryani- Katchi biryani and Pakki biryani. In Katchi biryani raw marinated meat is layered with half cooked rice and then cooked on slow heat till done. This is a delicate process of preparing biryani since the rice easily gets overcooked while trying to cook the meat.
In Pakki biryani partially cooked rice is layered with cooked chicken or mutton and then again cooked with ‘dum’ method (cooking with steam) till done ( this is the one I am writing about today). Perfecting the art of making biryani is an achievement in itself. And, I found that the key to a good biryani depends on how well you cook the rice, even if it is ordinary basmati. This dish is perfect for potluck and parties, so flavorful and aromatic that you can smell it in the whole house. On the other note, keep your bedroom door closed while cooking 🙂
Hyderabadi biryani is a flavorful and aromatic rice dish with tender cooked meat prepared by 'dum' method.
Ingredients
- Basic Ingredients:
- 1 lb mutton (2" pieces of goat meat)
- 2 cup (385 g ) basmati rice
- 2 pinch saffron soaked in 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp melted ghee (optional)
- For the marinade
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp biryani masala
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder (optional)
- 2 tsp salt
- For the rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom,
- 1-1"stick cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3/4 tbsp salt
- For the mutton
- 2 black cardamom, shelled
- 2 green cardamom, shelled
- 2-1" piece of cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 4-5 sprigs of mint
- 5 green chillies, cut into half
- 1 onion (175 g), sliced
- 2 tomatoes (175 g), chopped
- 3 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash the goat meat and place in a colander for the water to drain.
- Combine yogurt and the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl. Whisk, add mutton, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- Par boil the rice until al dente with the ingredients ( for directions check here)
- Soak saffron in warm milk.
- Heat oil in a thick bottom pot or dutch oven on medium heat and sizzle all the whole ingredients mentioned in the mutton ingredient list.
- Add the sliced onion, saute for a minute. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute or so ( they will soften up when you cook the meat).
- Add mutton with all the marinade. Dry cook the meat for roughly two minutes. Then add 1.25 cups of water ( the water would be sufficient to cook the meat, if steam does not escape from your pot). Bring the water to boil, reduce heat, cook covered for 25 minutes. Remove lid, check if the mutton is cooked or add more water to cook, add sprigs of mint and green chillies. If there is water in the meat dry it out or else your biryani will be a mess.
- Remove mutton in a bowl and now its the time to layer them.
- Spread half the parboiled rice in pot. Sprinkle half of lemon juice. Layer with cooked mutton. Top it with remaining rice. Sprinkle saffron milk, lemon juice and melted butter (if using). Cover with a tight fitting lid and seal the edges with aluminum foil ( do this only if you are using a regular pot).
- Heat a griddle, place the pot over it. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Leave the pot rest for 20 minutes on the griddle.
- Open and gently toss the contents together with a large fork, retaining the multi hued grains of rice.
- Garnish with mint, fried onion or boiled eggs and serve it with baghare baingan or raita.
Notes
I use one vessel to cook biryani and you don't need to clean or wipe the pot after cooking meat, and before layering rice.
Hyderabadi biryani is usually garnished with fried onions and boiled eggs but I was so hungry that I didn't bother any such garnish except for few mint leaves.
Coffee and Crumpets
Balvinder, your biryani looks perfect! Apart from the tomatoes, the recipe is very similar to the one I make, but I am lazy and always cook it kacchi. Thank you for the shout out! I appreciate it! I haven’t had biryani in a while and now after seeing yours, I am craving it. Unfortunately, my kitchen is still a disaster zone and there is no way a biryani is materialising. I will have to wait ***sigh***
Nazneen
Balvinder
O yeah, tomatoes do not go in the typical hyderabadi biryani but I like them, and even put in mutton nihari. The baghare baingan taste really good with peanut butter, sesame and coconut in them…..it was actually yummy! Thanks for such a lovely recipe.We all loved it.
Settling in a house takes time but it will be okay and soon you will be cooking some delicious food and posting it as well.
Divya Prakash
Delicious and flavorful biryani.. One of my favorites.. 🙂
Sridevi Ravi
Looks amazing! Of late my family has become a fan of Pakistani biryani and lots of take out last month. Mutton biryani, my style, is done with almost cooked meat added to the other ingredients and cooked together. It has no layers but a homogenous colour all over.
Balvinder
Sri, Unlike a pulao, biryani is all about layering, all the spices going in it and the saffron color along with meat gives it a distinct taste and striking texture to each grain of rice.
yummychunklet
A very delicious looking dish!
Choc Chip Uru
Some people have told me that for them, hydrabadi biryani is the only way now that they like rice so I don’t doubt this is very delicious dish 🙂
Your photos are super enticing!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Monica
I don’t know if I want the meat or the rice more! Okay, I want lots of both! This looks so, so delicious!
Balvinder
Have it all!
anne
Bal , looking at your mutton biryani , I can’t help but licked my lips 😀 It looks so scrumptious ! Loads of wonderful aromatics in there – some that I haven’t tried before ….. I’ve watched Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape : India last time and got hungry after watching it lol
Nava Krishnan
Both, the rice and mutton are super in demand at home. We eat rice almost everyday but mutton is, maybe twice a month. The dish has many flavors and the spices are just great for extra explosion of tastes.
Malti Sharma
The biryani looks divine, Neetu! It is our all time favorite and I make it similar to , how you made it… preparing the meat gravy and then layering it with rice. The only difference is that we also add potatoes 🙂 I know your hubby don’t eat it.
Juliana
Your biryani looks delicious, I cannot resist rice dishes 🙂
Hope you are having a wonderful week Balvinder~
Kitchen Belleicious
very interesting! It looks similar to our version of jambalaya here in the South. Would love to give this a try
Blackswan
I’m sure u’re an expert in cooking Briyani by now, Balvinder! Smelling good, my dear 🙂
Lail | With A Spin
I am too lazy and mostly prepare the kachchi. Your photos are delicious looking and enticing me to make some.
Jennifer Eloff
Yum! This looks so tasty! I first learned about this from my girlfriend who is Indian but lived in South Africa and now in the tropics.
Minnie@thelady8home
Nothing like a big pot of Biriyani!!! This is mouthwatering and looks beautiful. I want, I want! Gorgeous clicks too!
Ansh | Spiceroots
That is a beautiful Biryani – the beautifully cooked rice, the perfectly cooked mutton and look at the colors. Hats off for a delicate dish done well!
Norma Chang
Your biryani looks mouth-watering delicious.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
We eat rice almost everyday, and your biryani looks really good with all the spices and ingredients!!
Julia
I’ve been recently introduced to briyani rice and our family loves it. I look forward to trying this yummy looking recipe! We love lamb too.
Balvinder
That’s great Julia, you can try with any meat.Its really really tastes good.