Spicy Mutton Pulao (Gosht Pulav) is a delicious recipe made using long grain basmati rice, goat mutton, and aromatic spices. This one-pot rice dish is super easy to make and can be made in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker (gluten-free).
Here are some more pulao recipes that you may like – Peas Pulao, Shrimp Pulao, Chicken Pulao, Veg Pulao, Paneer Pulao, Mumbai Style Tawa Pulao, and Gucchi Pulao.
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About Spicy Mutton Pulao
Spicy Mutton Pulao (Gosht Pulav) is a comforting one-pot dish where tender and succulent mutton pieces are cooked along with aged basmati rice, fragrant whole spices, and a few more simple ingredients. It takes lesser time and effort to cook, but tastes as good as Mutton Biryani!
There are many versions of the mutton pulao recipe made in Indian and Pakistani households, but this recipe is an absolute favorite at my home. Mutton Yakhni Pulao is another variation of mutton pulao that we all love at home.
This spicy Mutton Pulav is best served for the main course with tomato onion raita, sliced onions, and lemon wedges on the side. Make it for special occasions or everyday meals. It can also be packed in lunch boxes.
This recipe can be easily halved or doubled. I made this recipe in my 6-quart instant pot. If you are doubling the recipe, then use a bigger pot. The time of cooking will remain the same.
You can also make it in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker.
Ingredients
To Marinate The Mutton
Bone-in goat meat (mutton) is marinated with yogurt (curd, dahi), ginger garlic paste, green chillies, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala powder, lime juice, and crispy fried onions.
The quality of red meat makes a lot of difference in the taste of the final dish. The best cuts are from the shoulder and leg of the animal.
Try to use bone-in meat as the bones release a lot of flavor making the pulao very flavorful. Having said that, if you are not a bone-in mutton person, then feel free to use boneless mutton pieces.
You can use fresh or frozen goat mutton. If using frozen mutton, then make sure to thaw it well.
If goat mutton is not available, you can replace it with lamb too.
You can replace Kashmiri red chili powder with regular red chili powder. I prefer Kashmiri red chili powder as it adds a nice red color to the dish without making it too spicy.
You can either buy the fried onions or make them at home using my easy Fried Onions recipe.
For The Pulao
To make the mutton pulao, you will need good quality long-grain basmati rice, ghee, vegetable oil, whole spices, onions, ginger-garlic paste, fresh tomatoes, mint leaves, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), green chilies, salt, and dried rose petals (optional).
Long-grain basmati rice is my preferred choice to make pulao but you can use Sona Masuri rice or any other good quality non-sticky white rice too.
I use whole spices like cloves (laung), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), star anise (chakri phool), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), and fennel seeds (saunf) to flavor the pulao.
You can skip 1-2 spices if you don’t have them handy. You can also add black peppercorns (kali mirch), cumin seeds, and bay leaves.
Add a few drops of kewra essence to the recipe for a unique flavor. Be very careful about the quantity of kewra essence. If added more, it can leave a bitter aftertaste.
How To Make Spicy Mutton Pulao
Marinate The Mutton
Add
- 1 pound (500 g) bone-in goat mutton pieces (cut into 1-½ inch chunks)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) plain yogurt (dahi)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon crispy fried onions
to a large mixing bowl.
Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate the marinated mutton for 4-5 hours or overnight.
Soak The Rice
Rinse 1 pound (500 g) long-grain basmati rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 3-4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Cook The Mutton
While the rice is soaking, cook the goat mutton. Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Add 2 tablespoon ghee and 2 tablespoon oil to the pot.
Once they are hot, add
- 3-4 cloves
- 3-4 whole green cardamoms
- 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 2 whole black cardamoms
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
and crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Add 2 cups thinly sliced onions and cook until they turn light brown in color (8-10 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking.
Add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are golden brown in color.
Now add 1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the marinated mutton. Add ½ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir gently.
Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure. The instant pot will take some time for the pressure to build and the timer to start.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a spoon to move the valve.
Open the lid of the pot.
Cook The Rice
Drain the water from the rice and add the soaked rice to the pot.
Add
- 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
- 1 teaspoon salt
and stir gently to combine.
Note – There is no need for any extra water now as the water released by the mutton is good enough to cook the rice.
Close the lid of the instant pot once again and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
Fluff the pulao gently using a fork and serve hot with raita, sliced onions, and lime wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook mutton pulao in a traditional pressure cooker, first, marinate the mutton. Then make the masala to cook the mutton in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the marinated mutton to the cooker along with 1 cup of water and salt and cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and add the soaked rice, mint leaves, cilantro, green chilies, dried rose petals, and salt, and stir gently to combine. Close the lid again and cook for 2 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and fluff the pulao using a fork. Serve hot.
Yes, these two are very different preparations. Yakhni pulao is a more delicate version of mutton pulao where the rice is cooked in Yakhni (mutton broth) and only a few whole spices while spicy mutton pulao is a robust pulao with many spices added to it.
Mutton pulao and biryani are both rice dishes, but they differ in their cooking methods and ingredients. Pulao is a simpler preparation where the rice is cooked along with the meat and spices, while biryani involves layering partially cooked rice with cooked meat and then further cooking it. Biryani typically has more complex flavors and additional ingredients. Check out my Mutton Biryani recipe here.
Pro Tips By Neha
If you don’t like whole garam masalas coming in your mouth, then you can tie them in a muslin bag or a cloth and once the pulao is cooked, discard them.
Soak 15-20 strands of saffron in ¼ cup milk for an hour and add this saffron milk while cooking the mutton pulao for a richer taste and flavor.
Storage Suggestions
Mutton Pulao will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an air-tight container. Reheat it in an oven, pan, or microwave until the mutton pieces are nicely heated.
You can also freeze the gosht pulav. Allow the pulao to cool down completely and portion it into individual servings or family-sized portions. Place each portion in airtight freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen pulao in the refrigerator overnight, reheat, and serve.
If using a microwave to reheat, cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or microwave-safe plastic wrap. Heat in short intervals, stirring in between, until the pulao is heated thoroughly.
If using an oven, preheat it to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and heat for 20-30 minutes or until the pulao is heated throughout.
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Recipe Card
Spicy Mutton Pulao Recipe (Gosht Pulav)
Ingredients
To Marinate The Mutton
- 1 pound bone-in goat mutton (500 g, cut into 1-½ inch pieces)
- 3.5 ounce plain yogurt (curd, dahi) (100 g)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons crispy fried onions
For The Pulao
- 1 pound long-grain basmati rice (500 g)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 3-4 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 whole star anise (chakri phool)
- 2 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 cups thinly sliced onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional)
Instructions
Marinate The Mutton
- Add mutton pieces, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, lime juice, and fried onions to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate the marinated mutton for 4-5 hours or overnight.
Soak The Rice
- Rinse rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in 3-4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Cook The Mutton
- While the rice is soaking, cook the mutton. Press SAUTE button of the instant pot.
- Add ghee and oil to the pot.
- Once they are hot, add cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, star anise, black cardamoms, and fennel seeds and crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn light brown in color (8-10 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking.
- Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Now add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the marinated mutton. Add ½ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir gently.
- Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Open the lid of the pot.
Cook The Rice
- Drain the water from the rice and add the soaked rice to the pot over the cooked mutton.
- Add mint leaves, cilantro, green chilies, dried rose petals, and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir gently to combine.
- Note – There is no need for any extra water now as the water released by the mutton is good enough to cook the rice.
- Close the lid of the instant pot once again and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Fluff the pulao gently using a fork and serve hot with raita, sliced onions, and lime wedges.
Tom Herbert
Can this beautiful looking recipe be cooked on a stove top or in an oven, as I would love to try to make it.
Thank you
Neha Mathur
Hi Tom, the mutton takes a long time to cook on the stovetop but if you are up for it, then you can definitely cook it in a pan over the stovetop. It will take approximately 1-1.5 hours for the mutton to cook well. Keep adding more liquid as you go to prevent it from burning. Once the mutton is cooked, make sure there is enough liquid left to cook the rice. That would be approximate, 1.5 times the quantity of rice.