Sofiyani Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:

1 kg mutton, cleaned

For Mutton Masala:

3 big onions, thinly sliced
10 green chillies
1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 1/2 cup less sour yogurt
25 gm cashew nuts
1 big cinnamon piece
4-5 cloves
4 cardamoms
1 black cardamom
salt to taste
1/2 cup oil

For Rice:

3 cups basmati rice
1 bay leaf
1 mace
1 big cinnamon piece
3-4 cloves
3-4 cardamoms
1 tsp sajeerakam (caraway seeds)
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

For Garnishing:

1 onion, thinly sliced
10-12 cashew nuts
10-12 raisins

Preparation:

1. Cut the mutton into pieces, clean it and keep it aside.
2. Soak 25 gm cashew nuts in little water and grind to a paste and keep it aside.
3. Grind green chillies to a paste and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and fry cashew nuts and raisins and keep it aside.
5. In the same oil, add 1 onion thinly sliced and fry till golden brown and keep it aside.
6. In the same oil, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and black cardamom and saute.
7. Add little of 3 sliced onion and saute for a minute.
8. Add green chilli paste, ginger paste and garlic paste and saute well till raw smell goes.
9. Add remaining sliced onions and saute well till soft.
10. Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute well.
11. Add cleaned mutton and mix well for 7 minutes. Add salt and mix well.
12. Add yogurt to this and mix well. Cook covered at high flame for 1 whistle and then at low flame for 4-5 whistles.
13. When pressure releases, open the cooker and remove 3-4 tbsp ghee that floats in the gravy and keep it aside.
14. Add cashew paste to the mutton masala and mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and keep it aside.

For Rice:

1. Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a large vessel filled with enough water adding bay leaf, mace, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and sajeerakam and bring to a boil.
3. When boils well, add the rice, lemon juice and salt and cook till 90 % done. Drain the rice in a colander and keep it aside.

Layering and Dum Cooking:

1. In a large thick bottomed pan and add little of the reserved mutton ghee (taken from masala).
2. Then spread a layer of rice and then half of mutton masala.
3. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.
4. Then again a layer of rice and add some mutton ghee and remaining mutton masala.
5. Add the remaining rice and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top.
6. Cover the pan with an aluminium foil and close with a tight lid.
7. Heat a large tawa over high heat and then bring down the heat to medium.
8. Place the biriyani pan over it and cook on medium-low flame for 15-20 minutes.
9. Switch off the flame and garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins. Serve hot with raita and pickle….

Recipe Source: Magic Oven