Authentic Mutton Biryani + Video

Straight from the land of Nizams, Mutton Biryani is a regal dish that does not need any special mention or patronage. This biryani is made in two styles, one is kacche gosht ki biryani and the other is pakke gosht ki biryani. I have covered both the styles in this post. Though many prefer eating it with raita, salad; the original “zayka” of this mutton biryani lies in savouring every nibble of it as it is. Here is how to make Mutton Biryani Recipe (Kacchi and Pakki Biryani).

As much as I am influenced by Lucknow, I equally feel stunned by the culinary options Hyderabad offers its populace and the tourists, of course. The very air of this royal city is trenched with the legacy of Mughlai, Turkish, Arabic, Telugu and Marathwada cuisines and you cannot shrug off the amalgamation of their culinary charisma that easily, can you?

With my impromptu trip to Hyderabad twice, I tried Badam ka Hareera, Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan, Hyderabadi Khatti Dal, Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan, Hyderabadi Sheer Kurma and my senses were flooded with euphoria. All those dishes were made to the T and were nothing but scrumptious.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani and Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani are equally decadent, but nothing beats Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani. Prepared with passion for the culinary legacy of the Nizams, this mutton rice recipe is made with the choicest basmati rice, fried onions, marinated mutton and more.

Biryani in Hyderabad is made using two techniques – One is Kacche Gosht ki Biryani where the Mutton is not cooked before layering with rice and the other is Pakke Gosht ki Biryani or Pakki Biryani where the mutton is cooked  with spices and then layered with rice.

Both these variations are slightly different from each other but the end result in both is phenomenal.

How to prepare Kacchi Mutton Biryani?

Having loved eating Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, I had to try it at home by slow cooking it to perfection. Whenever you make biryani, you need to understand that it is different than making the usual cooked rice or Pulao.

Kacche Gosht ki Biryani is made without cooking the meat prior to mixing it with rice. The raw marinated mutton is layered along with cooked rice and is cooked on dum until the mutton gets cooked and fall of the bone along with the rice.

Think of any recipes of biryani and you would realize that it is made in stages such as cooking rice, marinating mutton (or any other main ingredient as per the variation) and then finally assembling the two in a heavy bottom pan. The preparation of Hyderabad Biryani follows the same route.

Rice cooked on one side with cinnamon, cloves and mutton marinated in the paste of raw papaya, spices  (garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste, green chillies) ready as well, you finally need to mix the mutton batch with curd, mint leaves, fried onions and you are then set for assembling.

Spread the layer of mutton in a heavy bottom pan, top it with half cooked rice and then gently add milk, saffron soaked in water , golden brown onion and ghee on top. Close the lid tightly and let it cook – do not compromise on this, let it take its time because this is the secret of making the yummiest biryani of the world.

After 40-45 minutes, you would get a chance to drool and devour over a mind-blowing plateful of this one of its kind biryani and I wouldn’t want you to resist at all. On that note, read my recipe, what say?

How to make Pakki Mutton Biryani?

To make pakki Biryani, the marinated mutton is cooked with spices until it is tender. This cooked mutton is then layered with rice. We don’t use raw papaya in this recipe as the mutton doesn’t need a tenderiser.

Check out the recipe card below to see my recipe of Pakki Biryani.

Tips to make best Mutton Dum Biryani

Use best quality rice to make biryani.

If making kacchi biryani, the mutton must be marinated before hand. Since we are not cooking it separately, marinating it beforehand will make it tender and easy to cook. raw papaya is a great tenderiser and in this recipe it is a must. Do not skip using it.

Traditionally, the mutton was massaged well after adding each marinating ingredient. One ingredients was added and it was mixed well with the mutton before adding the next one. This process makes mutton very tender and many people still follow this method.

Use a heavy bottom pan to assemble the biryani. The biryani needs to be cooked for 40-45 minutes on low heat and if the pan is not heavy, it might burn.

Keeping a heavy tawa below the pan helps to cook the biryani on very low heat and it also makes sure the biryani doesn’t get burned from the bottom.

The traditional potli masala used to make biryani recipe has many unusual ingredients, but since it is not easy to source them, I have a mix which is easy to find the not compromise on taste. To make potli masala, tie 2 g green cardamom, 2 g cloves, 2 g bay leaves, 2 g cinnamon and 2 g star anise in a small cloth piece

Birista or Golden Fried Onions are a must to make a good biryani. Making perfect birista is an art and takes a lot of patience and skills. I have a detailed recipe to make perfect birista at home. You can check the recipe to make golden fried onion here. 

Be very attentive while cooking the rice. Do not stir the rice much while cooking otherwise it will break the grains.

Choose a pan with a tight fitting lid. This biryani cooks on dum or steam and we want to retain as much steam that is formed inside. Traditionally, a sealing of dough used to be put around the pan and the lid but I don’t think that it is required if the lid fits tightly.

How to choose rice to make best Mutton Dum Biryani Recipe?

Both the taste and visual appeal of Biryani should stand out in its preparation. Now while this recipe takes care of the taste, the visual appeal comes only through rice grains. Longer the grain, better would be the biryani. I always choose the rice which is extra long and stands out as individual grains.

This gives the visual appeal of a blooming flower and makes eating biryani an enjoyable experience. Hence Basmati rice is the best choice to make Biryani, it stands out individually, without forming lumps while cooking.

Some people also use sela rice to make the biryani.

In the market, you now even get specially selected long grain Basmati Rice, which is perfect for this Biryani. I have used Fortune Biryani Special Rice to make this Biryani.

The age of the rice is also very crucial to make good biryani. Choose the rice grain which is at least 1 year old. The older the rice, the better it is.

How to make Mutton Biryani in rice cooker?

To make Biryani in rice cooker, treat it exactly similar to the pan and follow the same steps. Cook the rice separately and layer it in the rice cooker for dum cooking. Rice cooker traps a lot of steam and that will help to cook the mutton through.

How to make Mutton Biryani in Instant Pot?

When rice is cooked with spices and water together, everything mix with each other and it is no more a biryani. Biryani has to be layered, with each layer having it’s own importance.

So if you see posts on how to make biryani in Instant Pot, that’s the most wrong anyone do to a biryani. Call it a pulao, a delicious one, but for heaven’s sake, it’s not biryani.

So guys, repeat after me, No Biryani in Instant Pot.

What to serve with Biryani?

Biryani can be served with any raita of your choice. I personally like to serve it with Onion Tomato Raita or Boondi Raita.

In Hyderabad, it is served with Mirchi ka Salan.

You can also make any spicy curry to go with biryani.

You might also like

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Kerala Style Mutton Curry

Mutton Rogan Josh

Aloo Gosht

How to make Mutton Biryani Step by Step

Wash the rice and soak in water for 40-45 minutes.

Tie whole spices in a cloth piece to make a potli.

Mix mutton with raw papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, vegetable oil, green chilli and lemon juice and marinate for 4-5 hours.

Add curd, mint, coriander and golden fried onion in the marinated mutton and mix well.

Heat water in a large pot. Add potli masala, salt  and shahi zeera in the pot and bring the water to a boil.

Drain the rice and add it in the boiling water.

Transfer the mutton along with the marinade in a heavy bottom pan.

Once the rice gets 30% cooked, take out half of the rice and top it over the mutton.

Once the remaining rice is cooked to 70 %, take it out and top it over the 30% cooked rice.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup milk, saffron soaked in water, golden brown onion and ghee on top. I also like to sprinkle chopped coriander and mint sometimes.

Cover the pan tightly with a lid. Place the pan on a very slow heat for 50-55 minutes. Remove the lid and mix the biryani gently. Serve hot.

Kacchi Mutton Biryani Video Recipe

Hyderabadi Kacchi Mutton Biryani Recipe

4.22 from 14 votes

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Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani Recipe

Straight from the land of Nizams, Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani is a regal dish that does not need any special mention or patronage. Though many prefer eating it raita, salad; the original "zayka" of this mutton biryani lies in savouring every nibble of it as it is.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 670 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For the rice

• 2 cups Long Grain Biryani Basmati Rice
• 10 g Potli Masala Check Notes
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Shahi Zeera
• 2 tsp Salt

For the Mutton

• 750 g Mutton Cut into small pieces
• 3 tbsp Raw Papaya Paste
• 2 tsp Ginger paste
• 2 tsp Garlic Paste
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 4 tsp Green Chilli Crushed
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 200 g Curd
• 2 tbsp Mint Chopped
• 2 tbsp Coriander Chopped
• 1/4 cup Golden Fried Onion

For assembling the biryani

• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 pinch Saffron Soaked in 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup Golden Fried Onion
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Coriander Chopped
• 1 tbsp Mint Chopped

Instructions

For the rice

1. Wash the rice and soak in water for 40-45 minutes.

2. Heat water in a large pot.

3. Add potli masala, ghee, salt and shahi zeera in the pot and bring the water to a boil.

4. Drain the rice and add it in the boiling water.

For the Mutton

1. Mix mutton with raw papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, ghee, green chilli and lemon juice and marinate for 10-12 hours.

2. Add curd, mint, coriander and golden fried onion in the marinated mutton and mix well.

Assembling the biryani

1. Transfer the mutton along with the marinade in a heavy bottom pan.

2. Once the rice gets 30% cooked, take out half of the rice and top it over the mutton.

3. Once the remaining rice is cooked to 70 %, take it out and top it over the 30% cooked rice.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup milk, saffron soaked in water, coriander, mint, golden brown onion and ghee on top.

5. Cover the pan tightly with a lid.

6. Place the pan on a very slow heat for 40-45 minutes.

7. Remove the lid and mix the biryani gently.

8. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

Use best quality rice to make biryani.

If making kacchi biryani, the mutton must be marinated before hand. Since we are not cooking it separately, marinating it beforehand will make it tender and easy to cook. raw papaya is a great tenderiser and in this recipe it is a must. Do not skip using it.

Traditionally, the mutton was massaged well after adding each marinating ingredient. One ingredients was added and it was mixed well with the mutton before adding the next one. This process makes mutton very tender and many people still follow this method.

Use a heavy bottom pan to assemble the biryani. The biryani needs to be cooked for 40-45 minutes on low heat and if the pan is not heavy, it might burn.

Keeping a heavy tawa below the pan helps to cook the biryani on very low heat and it also makes sure the biryani doesn't get burned from the bottom.

The traditional potli masala used to make biryani recipe has many unusual ingredients, but since it is not easy to source them, I have a mix which is easy to find the not compromise on taste. To make potli masala, tie 2 g green cardamom, 2 g cloves, 2 g bay leaves, 2 g cinnamon and 2 g star anise in a small cloth piece

Birista or Golden Fried Onions are a must to make a good biryani. Making perfect birista is an art and takes a lot of patience and skills. I have a detailed recipe to make perfect birista at home. You can check the recipe to make golden fried onion here. 

Be very attentive while cooking the rice. Do not stir the rice much while cooking otherwise it will break the grains.

Choose a pan with a tight fitting lid. This biryani cooks on dum or steam and we want to retain as much steam that is formed inside. Traditionally, a sealing of dough used to be put around the pan and the lid but I don't think that it is required if the lid fits tightly.

Nutrition Facts

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 670 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Cholesterol 103mg34%

Sodium 1686mg73%

Potassium 560mg16%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 360IU7%

Vitamin C 6.4mg8%

Calcium 87mg9%

Iron 3.8mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Hyderabadi Pakki Mutton Biryani Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes

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Pakki Mutton Biryani

Pakki Mutton Biryani is a style of hyderabdi biryani where mutton is cooked along with spices and then layered with rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 936 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For the Mutton

• 1 kg Goat Mutton
• 1 cup Thick Curd
• 4 tsp Green Chilli Paste
• 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/4 cup Golden Fried Onion
• 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 4 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Onion Thinly Sliced
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

For the Rice

• 2 cups Long Grain Basmati Rice
• 10 g Potli Masala
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Shahi Jeera
• 2 tsp Salt

For assembling the biryani

• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 pinch Saffron Soaked in 1 tbsp water.
• 1/2 cup Golden Fried Onion
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Coriander Chopped
• 1 tbsp Mint Chopped

Instructions

For the Mutton

1. Wash the mutton and mix it well with curd, green chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, golden fried onion, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt and lemon juice.

2. Marinate the mutton for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.

4. Add onion and fry until onion turns golden brown.

5. Add the marinated mutton and fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes.

6. Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook until mutton is tender.

7. Remove the lid of the cooker and cook the mutton until most of the water is evaporated.

8. Keep the mutton aside.

For the rice

1. Wash the rice and soak in water for 40-45 minutes.

2. Heat water in a large pot.

3. Add potli masala, ghee, salt and shahi zeera in the pot and bring the water to a boil.

4. Cook the rice until it is 90% cooked.

5. Drain the rice and keep aside.

Assembling the biryani

1. Add half of the cooked rice in a heavy bottom pan.

2. Transfer the cooked mutton over the rice and spread evenly.

3. Top with the remaining cooked rice.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup milk, saffron soaked in water, coriander, mint, golden brown onion and ghee on top.

5. Cover the pan tightly with a lid.

6. Place the pan on a very slow heat for 20-25 minutes.

7. Remove the lid and mix the biryani gently.

8. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

Use best quality rice to make biryani.

Keeping a heavy tawa below the pan helps to cook the biryani on very low heat and it also makes sure the biryani doesn't get burned from the bottom.

The traditional potli masala used to make biryani recipe has many unusual ingredients, but since it is not easy to source them, I have a mix which is easy to find the not compromise on taste. To make potli masala, tie 2 g green cardamom, 2 g cloves, 2 g bay leaves, 2 g cinnamon and 2 g star anise in a small cloth piece

Birista or Golden Fried Onions are a must to make a good biryani. Making perfect birista is an art and takes a lot of patience and skills. I have a detailed recipe to make perfect birista at home. You can check the recipe to make golden fried onion here. 

Be very attentive while cooking the rice. Do not stir the rice much while cooking otherwise it will break the grains.

Choose a pan with a tight fitting lid. This biryani cooks on dum or steam and we want to retain as much steam that is formed inside. Traditionally, a sealing of dough used to be put around the pan and the lid but I don't think that it is required if the lid fits tightly.

Nutrition Facts

Pakki Mutton Biryani

Amount Per Serving

Calories 936 Calories from Fat 549

% Daily Value*

Fat 61g94%

Saturated Fat 31g194%

Cholesterol 147mg49%

Sodium 1766mg77%

Potassium 629mg18%

Carbohydrates 59g20%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 630IU13%

Vitamin C 6.9mg8%

Calcium 128mg13%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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