Mutton Biryani Recipe

Ingredients
2 cup of Anujaya basmati rice (soaked for 20 mins)
3 cups water
¾ cup onions sliced thinly
2 to 4 green chillies
½ cup of tomatoes (adjust as per your desire)
1 tsp. garam masala powder
¼ cup of mint leaves
¼ cup of coriander leaves
3 tbsp. oil (do not reduce)
Dry spices
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
½ small nutmeg
2 strands of mace
¾ tsp jeera / black cumin
6 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1 star anise
Few pepper corn
3 inch cinnamon stick
6 to 8 cloves
Marination
½ kg of tender lamb mutton (cut to a size of your choice)
¾ tsp red chilli powder
1 ½ to 2 tsp. garam masala powder
1 ½ tbsp. ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup fresh yogurt (do not use a sour one, can make your rice very sour as we are using tomatoes too)
1 tbsp.oil (oil helps to make the mutton soft)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes. Drain it completely to a colander and set aside.
Wash mutton and drain water thoroughly and marinate with marinating ingredients and set aside for at least an hour.
Heat a wide pressure pan or non-stick with oil; add the dry spices, sauté till they begin to sizzle.
Add onions, green chillies and fry till they turn brown almost about to caramelise. This is crucial to get a good aroma and taste. There must be enough oil to for the onions to fry.
Add tomatoes, sprinkle salt just enough for the tomatoes to cook easily. Cook till the tomatoes turn fully mushy and the raw smell goes off.
Add half of the coriander and mint leaves, sauté for a minute Add the marinated mutton pieces, mix well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Cook covered on a low flame till the mutton turns soft and tender or cook for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker. Switch off the stove. If cooking in the pan without pressure cooker, stir occasionally to prevent burning. Remember the flame has to be very low otherwise mutton may turn hard. When the pressure goes off, remove the lid. You will be left with thick gravy depending on the mutton. If its still watery gravy, then evaporate it by cooking for some time.
Add mint, coriander leaves and garam masala. Sauté till the good smell of mint and masala comes out. Pour water, bring to a boil. Add rice. Adjust salt and cook on a medium flame till almost all the water is evaporated.
Cover and cook till the rice is fully done. If the rice is under cooked and there is not enough moisture, you can sprinkle some water. Alternately you can close the lid of the pressure pan / cooker and cook on a very low flame for just 5 mins. The flame must barely touch the surface of the pan. Do not let the cooker whistle. Alternately you can move the pan on to an old hot tawa. Set the flame to medium and let it cook that way for 10 mins. This way the biryani does not get burnt at the bottom.