Ingredients:

For Rice:

2 cups basmati rice

3 ½ cups water

1 ½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. ghee or butter

3 each of cloves, cardamom & cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. black cumin seeds

For Mutton:

½ kg mutton

3 green chilies

3 large onions

3 tomatoes

3 each of cloves, cardamom & cinnamon

4 tsp ghee

1 bunch coriander leaves

½ bunch mint leaves

¼ cup yogurt

Masala 1:

1 large pod garlic

1 large piece ginger

(Grind together to a fine paste)

Masala 2:

8-10 red chilies

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp khus khus (poppy seeds)

(Grind together to a fine paste)

Masala 3:

½ cup grated coconut

3 tsp chopped cashew nuts

½ cup yogurt

(Grind together to a smooth paste)

To Garnish:

2 Hard boiled eggs

3 tbsp. fried onions

1 tbsp roasted cashew nuts

1 tbsp raisons

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk

Method:

Rice:

Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes, drain and keep aside. Heat ghee, add the spices, when they splutter add rice and fry for further 2 to 3 minutes.  Add water, salt and cook till the water is absorbed. Allow rice to cool.

Mutton:

Clean the meat, cut into medium pieces and marinate in the yogurt for 1 hour.  Heat ghee, add spices, chopped green chilies and onions and fry till mixture turns brown. Add masala 1 and 2 and stir well. Now add the tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes.  Then add mutton pieces, coriander and mint leaves and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water (if required) and salt to taste. Cook till mutton is tender.  Add masala 3 and cook till the gravy becomes thick.

Arranging the Biryani:

Divide rice into 3 parts and mutton into 2 parts. Grease a dish and arrange alternate layers of rice and meat, beginning and ending with rice. Pour saffron soaked in milk over rice, cover tightly and steam for 20 to 30 minutes on slow flame. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins and hard-boiled eggs. 

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