Recipe: Hyderabad Mutton Birayani

(A recipe from the kitchen of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Kachche Gosht Ki Birayani, also known as the ‘Hyderabad mutton Birayani’ is auspice, fragrant and colorful variant of Birayani in India)

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Mutton: 1 Kg

Basmati Rice: 500 gm

Cumin (Jeera): 1 tsp

Whole garam masala:  2 tbsp

Boiled egg for decoration (optional):2

Rose water (optional): 1tbsp

Garlic-ginger paste: 2 tbsp

Golden-fried sliced onion: 2 cups

Mint leaves: 1 bunch

Curd: 2 cups

Cashew nuts (optional): 50 gm

Turmeric powder: 1 pinch

Saffron: 1 pinch

Coriander leaves: 1 bunch

Salt to taste

Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tbsp

Oil: 5 tbsp.

Procedure:

-The Marinade: Wash Mutton (Pat dry and add garam masala, salt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili paste, and two cups of curd. Put it in a clean film plastic and keep it in the refrigerator to marinade over night.

-First boil the water, add oil salt and half-cook the rice.

-Next fry thinly sliced onions until golden brown. Add 1/3 of the golden-brown onion to the mutton marination and rest keep aside.

-Now in a Handi (deep pan) add the marinated mutton in the bottom and top it with half cooked rice, add mint leaves, coriander leave and top it up fried onions.  In a separate bowl, add some warm milk to soak saffron.  One the milk soaks the colour of the saffron, add it to the Handi.

-Cover the Handi or pan with a airtight lid or add sticky dough to the edges and cover it with a lid.  Cook for 45 minutes.

- Add rose water and garnish with sliced boiled eggs.

-Serve hot with raita and mirchi ka salan.

 pic courtesy:http://cornstarch.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/biryani011.jpg