Hyderabadi Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:

1 kg mutton
3 cups of basmati rice
2 tsp vinegar
2 large onions, sliced and fried
4 green chillies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup yoghurt/curd
3 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
5-6 tsp ghee
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cardamoms
3 cinnamon piece
4 cloves
3 bay leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 tsp saffron/ food colour/ turmeric powder dissolved in 1/4 cup warm milk
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 1-1 1/2 cup of oil in a pan and deep fry the sliced onions till golden brown colour and keep it aside. ( Don’t fry till deep brown).
2. In a bowl, add the cleaned mutton pieces and vinegar and allow to tenderize for 15 minutes.
3. Then add 2 slit green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, yoghurt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, half of the fried onions, 1/4 cup onion fried oil, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt to this and mix well. Allow it to marinate for 1 hour.
4. In the meantime half cook the rice with salt, 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves adding enough water. Then drain the water and allow to cool.
5. In a large thick bottomed pan, spread the marinated mutton evenly. 
6. Layer half of the cooked rice on top of that and sprinkle some fried onions, little garam masala, mint leaves, coriander leaves, 2 slit green chillies, 2 tsp ghee and lime juice.
7. Then again layer with remaining rice and sprinkle some fried onions, coriander leaves , 2 tsp ghee and top it with saffron/ turmeric milk in circular motion.
8. Cover this with aluminium foil/ dough to keep it air tight. Close with a lid and keep some weight on top.
9. Allow to cook for 45 minutes in low flame on stove top or keep the vessel on top of a tawa and cook 15 minutes on high flame and remaining 30 minutes on low flame.
10. Remove from flame and serve with raita, pickle…..