Mutton Biryani with Golden Fried Onions and Dum

Ingredients

• 500 g long-grain basmati rice, washed until the water runs almost clear
• 1 kg bone-in mutton, cut into medium pieces
• 250 g plain yogurt, whisked
• 4 large onions (about 600 g), thinly sliced
• 120 ml cooking oil
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 5 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp biryani masala powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp salt, for the mutton, or to taste
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 3 l water, for boiling the rice
• 2 tbsp salt, for the rice water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (black cumin) or regular cumin seeds
• ¼ cup warm milk, mixed with a generous pinch of saffron or 0.25 tsp orange food colour
• 1 tbsp kewra water
• 2 tbsp ghee, melted

Instructions

1. Cover the washed rice with plenty of cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put the mutton in a large bowl.
2. Add the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric, biryani masala, 2 tsp salt, half the lemon juice and a third of the mint and coriander to the mutton. Mix well and leave to marinate while the rice soaks and the onions fry.
3. Heat the oil in the heavy pot over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Fry, stirring often, for 18–20 minutes until deep golden brown, not dark or bitter.
4. Lift out about two-thirds of the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them on a plate lined with kitchen paper; they will crisp as they cool. Leave the rest and the oil in the pot.
5. Add the marinated mutton to the pot and cook on high heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the meat changes colour and the masala smells cooked. Add the tomatoes, green chillies and 1 cup of water.
6. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mutton is tender and the oil floats on top. If there is more than about 1 cup of thin gravy, uncover and cook off the excess. Stir in the garam masala.
7. While the mutton finishes, bring 3 litres of water to a boil in the second pot with 2 tbsp salt, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and shahi jeera. Drain the soaked rice, add it and boil for 6–7 minutes until about 75% cooked: a grain should snap easily between your fingers but still have a white core. Drain at once.
8. Scatter half the rice over the mutton in an even layer. Top with half the crisp onions, half the remaining mint and coriander, and a splash of lemon juice. Cover with the rest of the rice.
9. Drizzle the saffron milk, kewra water and melted ghee over the top. Finish with the remaining fried onions, mint and coriander.
10. Cover the pot with foil, then press the lid on tightly. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes, then move the pot onto a hot tawa on the lowest heat and steam (dum) for 25 minutes. The rice should be fully tender and the steam should smell fragrant.
11. Turn off the heat and rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently from the edges with a large spoon so the rice and mutton mix without breaking the grains.

Tips

• Marinate the mutton overnight in the fridge if you can; it makes the meat more tender and the masala deeper. Bring it to room temperature before cooking.
• Keep the gravy thick before layering. Too much liquid makes the bottom rice soggy and the grains stick.
• Do not over-boil the rice. It finishes cooking in the steam, and rice that is already soft will turn mushy.
• A pressure cooker cuts the mutton cooking time to about 25 minutes after the first browning. Reduce any excess liquid afterwards before layering.