MALABAR MUTTON BIRIYANI - Mutton Biriyani in Kerala Style

All time favorite of all non vegetarians, biriyani is a highly seasoned rice cooked with chicken / Fish / Mutton / Beef, Egg or vegetables. My husband's favorite is this mild spicy Mutton Biriyani.

Ingredients :

For the Rice :

Rice : 2Cups

Bay leaf : 2

Black Pepper corns : 3

Cloves : 4

Cinnamon : 1inch piece

Onion : 1/2

Fennel :1/4tsp

Coriander leaves : 1/4Cup, Chopped

Ghee : 1tsp

Salt

For the mutton masala :

Mutton : 1/2kg

Onion : 2,thinely sliced

Tomato : 3,small, finely chopped

Ginger : 1inch piece

Green Chilli : 5

Garlic : 10

Coriander leaves : 1/2Cup, chopped

Coriander powder : 1tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Garam Masala : 1/4tsp

Curd : 1/4Cup

Lemon : juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Curry Leaves : 2springs

Ghee / Coconut Oil : 2tsp

Salt

Method :

1. Wash and drain mutton thoroughly and keep in colander itself.

2. Heat oil / ghee in a pressure cooker and saute onion till its translucent. The more you saute onion, the taste will enhance. Now add the tomato and mix well. Turn into slow-medium flame and cover with a lid. 

3.  Using a mixer, crush together garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander leaves and curry leaves.  Add this to the onion-tomato mixture and saute till you get a dark brown thick masala.

4. Now add turmeric powder,salt, mutton and garam masala. Saute for 3-4minutes and then cover the cooker with its lid and keep in low-medium flame for 4 whistles.(Now you can start making rice and continue cooking mutton when pressure releases from the cooker)

5. When Pressure releases, turn on the flame and cook in medium-high flame till you get a thick masala. Meanwhile combine curd and lemon juice in a bowl. Turn off the flame and add this mixture immediately to the mutton masala.

Preparation for the Kerala Mutton Biriyani rice / Ghee Rice :

6. Clean, wash and drain the basmati Rice. Now heat ghee in a thick bottom vessel and add all spices listed under the ingredients for rice. After 1 minute, add 1/2 of an onion and saute till it becomes translucent. Now add 3 glasses of water let it boil. Add salt and drained rice and cover &cook in slow flame.(Make sure you are not opening the lid more than 2 times in the entire cooking of rice)When its almost done add the chopped coriander leaves and press the top side of the rice with backside of spatula for keeping the steam inside the vessel itself. Turn off the gas when rice is soft and not sticking to each other.

7. For layering add the mutton masala first and then add a layer of rice along with some ghee and lemon juice. Cover with a tight lid and cook for 8minutes. For better results you can make this layering in a oven proof vessel and bake for 15minutes. 

8. Serve hot with raitha, green chutney / biriyani chammanthi, pappad and pickle.
[Recipe Sourse : My Brother Appu]