Madras Mutton Biryani (Recipe 2)

Ingredients for Madras Mutton Biryani:

1. Mutton – ¾ kg 

2. Hot Water – 1 cup 

    Cinnamon – 2-inch piece 

    Cloves – 1 tsp 

    Cardamom – 1 tsp 

    Salt – To taste 

3. Oil – ½ cup 

    Onion – ½ kg 

4. Ghee – 1 cup 

    Ginger (ground) – 4 tsp 

    Garlic (ground) – 4 tsp 

5. Coriander Powder – 1 tsp 

    Chilli Powder – 1 tsp 

    Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp 

    Fennel Seed Powder – 2 tsp 

6. Tomato – ¼ kg, chopped 

7. Curd – 1 cup 

    Coriander Leaves – A handful 

    Green Chilli – 4, slit 

8. Cashew Nuts – ¼ cup 

    Grated Coconut – ½ cup 

9. Salt – To taste 

    Lemon Juice – To taste 

10. Basmati Rice – ½ kg 

      Water – 12 cups (3 litres) 

      Salt – To taste 

11. Ghee – As required for frying 

      Onion (thinly sliced) – ½ cup 

      Cashew Nuts – ¼ cup 

      Raisins – ¼ cup 

How to prepare Madras Mutton Biryani?

1. Cut ¾ kg of mutton into medium-sized pieces, remove excess fat, and wash thoroughly.

2. Add the second set of ingredients to the mutton, mix well, and cook on low heat.

3. When the mutton is cooked down to just 1 cup of gravy, remove from flame and set aside.

4. Heat ½ cup oil and sauté ½ kg onions (sliced lengthwise) until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

5. Heat 1 cup ghee in another pan, add 4 tsp ground ginger and 4 tsp ground garlic, and sauté well.

6. Add the fifth set of ingredients and sauté well.

7. When the masala becomes fragrant, add ¼ kg chopped tomatoes and sauté until oil separates. Add the seventh set of ingredients and mix well.

8. Add the fried onions and cooked mutton along with its gravy, stirring well.

9. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. When the gravy thickens and coats the meat pieces, add the eighth set of ingredients, mix well, and adjust salt and lemon juice to taste. Mutton Kurma is ready.

10. Wash the basmati rice and soak it in 3 liters of water for 15 minutes.

11. Boil the water, add salt to taste, and cook the rice. Drain the excess water.

12. Heat ghee and sauté ½ cup sliced onions until golden brown.

13. In the same pan, separately fry ¼ cup cashew nuts and ¼ cup raisins, then set aside.

14. Grease the base of a heavy-bottomed pan with ghee, spread a layer of cooked rice, then place a layer of mutton pieces from the Kurma.

15. Continue layering rice and mutton alternately. Finally, pour the remaining gravy over the top and add one more layer of rice.

16. Cover the rice with a damp cloth, seal the lid tightly, and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven or place it on a heated tawa.

17. Garnish with the fried onions, raisins, and cashew nuts. Serve hot.

Courtesy: Vanitha Magazine, March 1-14, 2025

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