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 phenominal.

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 first layer of mutton in a heavy bottom pan, top it with half cooked rice and repeat layers accordingly and then gently add 1/2 cup milk, saffron soaked in water , golden brown onion and ghee on top. Close the lid 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.

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.

I will however suggest that

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.

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

Hyderabadi Pakki Mutton Biryani Recipe

 

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