Ingredients

• For the rice:
• 3 cups - basmati rice
• 6 cups - boiling water
• 3 tbsp - ghee
• 6 - 1-inch piece cinnamon sticks
• 8 - cloves
• 4 - cardamom
• Salt to taste
• For the mutton korma:
• 3/4 kg - mutton/lamb
• 2 tbsp - curry powder
• 3 - onions (big)
• 5 - green chillies
• 2 - 2-inch piece ginger
• 15 big cloves - garlic
• 4 - tomatoes (medium)
• 2 tsp - poppy seeds/khus khus (if khus khus is not available substitute it with ground cashew nuts)
• 1 bunch - coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp - yogurt, whisked
• 1/4 cup - ghee
• Salt to taste

How to Make Mutton Biriyani Atterachi Biryani

• Preparing the rice:
• Wash rice and drain out the excess water.
• In a non-stick pan, heat 3 tbsp ghee and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and saute for a few seconds and add the rice.
• Stir continuously on high heat for 2-3 mins.
• Add boiling water and salt, stir well and cook covered on low heat until the water has been absorbed.
• Gently stir the rice with a fork and keep aside.
• Preparing the mutton korma:
• Cut mutton to medium pieces and clean properly and keep aside in a colander (to remove mutton smell, add some salt, lime juice and yogurt to mutton pieces. Leave it for 5-10 mins and then wash properly).
• Mince onions, chillies, ginger and garlic together in a food processor.
• Chop tomatoes, coriander and keep aside.
• Soak poppy seeds in 2 tbsp of water, for 15 mins and grind it to a smooth paste.
• Heat a little ghee in a pressure cooker and stir-fry the minced onion mixture till golden brown.
• Add curry powder, tomatoes, salt and saute till tomatoes are cooked well.
• Into this add ground poppy seeds or cashew nuts and saute.
• Add mutton and saute well.
• Add a little boiling water and pressure cook the meat till done and the gravy thickens (about 20 mins).
• Finally add curd and coriander leaves mix well and let the curry a nice boil turn off the heat and keep aside.
• To assemble the biriyani:
• Grease an ovenproof baking dish with some ghee.
• Divide the rice into three portions.
• Spread one portion to the bottom of the dish.
• Cover the rice with half of the cooked mutton.
• Spread another layer of rice on top, and then cover with the rest of the mutton.
• Finally top the mutton with the last portion of rice.
• Drizzle some saffron or turmeric soaked in milk and ghee on the rice.
• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C and bake for 10-15 mins or until heated thoroughly (can microwave it for 6-8 mins too).
• Garnish biryani with some golden fried onions, cashews and raisins.
• Serve with onion and yogurt salad, lime pickle, dates pickle and papad.