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5 from 2 votes
mutton biryani
Mutton Biryani Recipe
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 

Mutton Biryani Recipe - The Hyderabadi dum biryani recipe is made by layering and cooking meat and rice with lots of flavors. It's simple and I have broken down into steps that will help you to make it without the overwhelming feeling. Making Mutton Biryani wouldn't get any easier!!!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Keyword: best biryani, dum biryani recipe, hyderabadi dum biryani, mutton biryani, mutton biryani recipe, mutton recipes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 1/2 kg or (1 pound) Mutton/Goat (Medium-cut)
  • 2 cups Basmati rice
FOR FRYING CASHEWS AND ONIONS:
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 2 medium-size onions (yields 2 cups), finely sliced (You can also use store brought (1 and 1/2 cup))
  • 1/8 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
MUTTON MARINADE:
  • 3/4 cup thick yogurt or greek yogurt Please refer notes
  • 1 tablespoon red chilly powder Use Kashmiri chilly powder/paprika for less heat
  • 1 tablespoon biriyani masala or garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 green chilies slit
  • 1/8 cup ginger garlic paste
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon raw papaya paste or 1/2 teaspoon meat tenderizer optional, but ideal
  • 1 cup fried onions from above
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 1 tablespoon oil
TO COOK RICE:
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons Salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons shahi jeera
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ghee
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 cardamoms
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick
FOR ASSEMBLY:
  • 1/2 cup drained rice water from above
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • pinch of saffron crushed and soaked in 1/8 cup milk
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
  • fried onions from above
  • fried cashews from above
Instructions
MUTTON MARINADE:
  1. Wash and drain the mutton well. Transfer into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add yogurt to another bowl and add the ingredients listed under the mutton marinade. Mix well and add it to the mutton and mix well again. Add coriander leaves + mint. Add fried onions if using storebought or add it later when you are about to cook the meat. Cover and keep this aside from 1 hour to 12 hours. (If longer than an hour, place in the refrigerator)

  3. Pro Tip: If you are in a hurry, you can also marinate for 1 hour, but the longer your marinate, the flavor gets it, and the meat becomes tender. (If you are making biryani for dinner, marinate in the morning, and if you are preparing for the afternoon, marinate the previous night.)

SOAK RICE:
  1. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes to an hour.

  2. Meanwhile, gather the ingredients needed for assembly and for cooking rice in separate plates for ease.

FOR FRYING CASHEWS AND ONIONS:
  1. Place a dutch oven or a large non-stick pot big enough to hold the mutton and rice on medium-high heat. Add 1/8 cup oil + 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan.

  2. Fry the cashews till golden brown and keep aside. After that, add the onions to the same pan and fry on medium heat till golden brown and crisp. Drain and keep aside and reserve the oil to make biryani.

TO COOK MUTTON:
  1. Add the marinated meat. (add 3/4 cup fried onions if you did not add during the marination process) Stir and let it cook till 75 % done and till oil is seen on top. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

    mutton biryani recipe step 3
TO COOK RICE:
  1. While the meat is cooking, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add salt as needed (When you taste the water the salt should be slightly more than what you usually need).

  2. Add all the ingredients mentioned in TO COOK RICE to the water, and then add the soaked and drained rice and let the water come to a boil. Taste and adjust the flavor of the water as needed. Salt should be slightly more than what you normally have.

  3. Reduce the heat and stir the rice and cook it only till only half-cooked (When you take a bite you will feel it will be underdone in the center. It is a crucial step or else the rice will be mushy.

  4. Drain the rice in a colander and reserve 1/2 cup of water.
    mutton biryani recipe step 2
ASSEMBLY:
  1. To the partially cooked mutton, add 1/2 of the cooked rice and half of the fried onions + coriander leaves + mint leaves. Add the remaining rice and fried onions + coriander leaves + mint leaves + 2 green chilly. sprinkle reserved rice water on top followed by saffron milk. Sprinkle a few drops of food color if using.

    Add a tablespoon of ghee and fried cashews.

    mutton biryani recipe step 4
  2. There are three ways you can cover. 1. With an aluminum foil: Place an aluminum foil on top and slightly seal and place a lid on top. 2. Seal with any kind of dough available. 3. Place the lid and keep something heavy on the top so that the steam does not escape.

    mutton biryani recipe step 5
  3. Place a girdle or pan on the stove and transfer the biryani pot on top. Reduce the heat to minimum and let it cook for 40 to 50 minutes.

  4. To check for doneness, open the lid and slide a laddle along the side of the pan and scoop out the meat. If there is no water content and the mutton is tender, it means the biriyani is ready.

    mutton biryani recipe step 6
  5. Serve with raita/salad, papad, and pickle.
Recipe Notes

To make the process easier I have divided into steps:

  1. Marinate the meat in advance.
  2. Gather the ingredients list under individual groups in separate plates or bowls before you start cooking.
  3. Read the recipe 2 to 3 times to understand the process.

For Thick Yogurt: Lay a kitchen paper towel or muslin cloth in a big strainer. Add 1 cup of yogurt and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.