Ingredients

• For the lamb (mutton):
• 500 g mutton - (lamb)
• 100 ml - yogurt/ curd, whisked
• 2 tsp - ginger - garlic paste ( fresh and homemade )
• 1 tsp - salt ( or to taste )
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• Other ingredients
• 2 tbsp - oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 5 cardamoms
• 5 cinnamon sticks (1 - inch size)
• 4 onions, finely sliced
• 5 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 3 tbsp - ginger - garlic paste (fresh and homemade)
• 2 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• 2 tsp -coriander powder
• 3 tomatoes (pick well ripe), cut into thick slices
• 1.5 tsp - salt (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp - chopped mint leaves
• Ingredients
• 1 tsp - ghee
• 4 black cardamom
• 4 -cloves
• 1/2 tsp - fennel seeds
• 5 -peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 2 cups / 400 ml - basmati rice
• 6 cups - water
• Ingredients
• 3 tbsp - ghee / oil
• 2- onion, thinly sliced
• 10- cashew nuts splits (or more)
• 10- raisins (or more)
• 2 tbsp - chopped mint and coriander leaves
• 1/4 tsp - saffron diluted in 2 tbsp - milk (optional)
• 1 tbsp - ghee
• Maida dough for the seal (depending upon the size of the pan / pot)
• 1 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves

How to Make Ustad Biryani

• For the lamb (mutton):
• Wash and clean mutton pieces. Drain out water completely.
• Marinate mutton pieces with ginger - garlic paste, turmeric powder, whisked yogurt and salt.
• Cover and keep aside for half an hour.
• For the masala:
• Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in 2 tbsp water (spice mix). Keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil or ghee and add whole spices (bay leaf, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon stick).
• Fry on low heat until fragrant.
• Add sliced onions and fry till golden colour on low to medium heat.
• Add slit green chilli and stir well.
• Add ginger - garlic paste and stir well for 2 - 3 minutes or until the raw smell goes.
• Add diluted spice mix (red chilli powder - turmeric powder - coriander powder) and stir well on low heat for 2 - 3 minutes or until well blended and water dries up.
• Add sliced tomatoes.
• Stir well for 4 - 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are well mixed with onions and other spices / tomato gravy thickens.
• Add chopped mint and coriander leaves. Mix well.
• At this point, add marinated mutton pieces (along with thick yogurt / curd) and salt to taste. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 40 - 50 minutes or until mutton pieces softens and gravy thickens ( you may get approximately 3/4 - 1 cup thick gravy).
• For the rice:
• In a pan, heat ghee. Add peppercorns, fennel seeds, cardamom and cloves and fry till fragrant.
• Put all the fried spices, salt and ghee in water and boil. Add rice, and cook until 3/4th done (do not overcook rice. Each rice grain should be separated).
• Remove whole spices when assembling.
• Final preparation:
• Heat oil / ghee in a pan and add sliced onions and fry until golden brown and crisp on medium to low heat. Keep aside.
• Add cashew nut splits and fry on low heat until golden colour. Keep aside.
• Add raisins and fry on a low heat until golden colour. Keep aside.
• Dum method:
• In a heavy - bottomed vessel or biryani pot or thick non-stick kadai, spread a layer of lamb (mutton) masala (along with half portion of thick gravy) and half portion of cooked rice.
• Make 2 layers with cooked rice and mutton masala. Sprinkle 1 tbsp ghee, golden onions, saffron solution (optional), chopped coriander - mint leaves and shallow fried raisins and cashew nuts.
• Gently put a wet soft towel over it. It will help to retain the flavour of the biryani.
• Cover with a tight lid.
• Seal with maida dough on the edges of the lid.
• Heat a heavy - bottomed iron kadai.
• Keep biryani pot over it and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
• You can find a colour change on the maida seal. Switch off the heat and keep aside for another 15 minutes.
• Open the seal carefully.
• Decorate with chopped coriander and mint leaves. Serve hot with raita, pickle, boiled egg.
• Recipe Courtesy: Niya's World