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Saturday 29 March 2014

Mumbai Special Mutton Biryani

One can go on and on about Mumbai food specialities.. sabu dana khichdi, pav bhaji, pani puri, sev, chaat, misal pav, usal pav, samosas.. the list is endless. Mumbaiites can have these dishes everyday yet never get bored of them. I simply admire and adore the city's love for food. Lately I realised I haven't been trying them at home, so decided to give mutton biryani a little local touch.

This post is long over due and it is dedicated to Mumbai foodies!

One big difference and only difference according to me is tomatoes, Mumbaiites love their biryani little tangy. Here is the recipe of Mumbai special biryani as conceived by me. Happy to hear your thoughts!





Ingredients (serves 4)
2 cups basmati rice
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled - each cut into 4 pieces
4 onions cut julienne style
1/2 cup mint leaves , finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 
11/2 cup tomato purée
1 cup fried onions
1 tbsp roughly chopped pistachio/almonds
[Cut onions julienne style and deep fry in oil or ghee. Sprinkle salt at the time of frying to make them more crispy]

Spices
2 tbsp raw papaya paste
[Helps in making the meat soft, alternately you can use meat tenderizer]
Dalchini - 2 pieces each 1 inch
Lavang - 5
Tej patta - 1 large
Chakra phool - 1
Shah jeera - 1 tsp
Jayphal - 1/2
Choti elaichi - 5
Badi elaichi - 1
4-5 tiny saffron strands
[Alternately you can use Badshaah saffron milk masala 1 tsp]
Pinch of haldi
1 tsp tandoori masala 
[I use Shaan tandoori masala, its perfect!]
11/2 tsp amchur powder (or 2 tsp lime juice)
1/2 cup milk



Preparing meat marinade

After washing mutton thoroughly, remove as much excess water off the meat as possible.
Make thin and deep cuts on all the pieces.

In a bowl, add papaya, salt, kali mirch, amchur powder, red chilli powder, 1 tsp tandoori masala, haldi and mix well. Add meat and potato pieces and mix well.Set aside for 30 minutes.

Preparing Rice
Pour 6 glasses of water, 1 tsp of ghee in to the vessel and bring to boil. Add 1 tsp of salt,1 inch dalchini,5 cloves(lavang) to boiling water. 

Now add the basmati rice. Boil the rice for 5 minutes.

[Rice should not be completely cooked.Turn off the gas when you find the texture bite like.]

Drain rice using a strainer. Now place the stainer on top of the empty vessel so that excess water will drip away. 

[Remember not to leave the strainer on the kitchen platform or on a plate directly because it will make the bottom rice soggy.]

Rice for biryani is ready.

Preparing masala

Grind choti elaichi and nutmeg in a mortar.

Take a pressure cooker for cooking meat. Pour 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil in it.Once it is hot,add tej patta,badi elaichi, choti elaichi and nutmeg powder,1 inch dalchini,1 tsp shah jeera,1 chakra phool and fry for 2 minutues on low flame.Now add chopped onions and fry.
When onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and fry.
Add marinated meat and fry on high flame by stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes.
Close the lid and leave it to cook till 6-7 whistles.
Keep aside till pressure drops.

Heat a big frying pan. Add mutton curry to this pan and mix well.
Add tomato purée and mint leaves and mix well. Cover the lid and let it cook for 10 mins(till oil separates).

Dissolve saffron or any kesar milk masala in 1/2 cup of warm milk and add pistachios.

Turn off the stove and move the masala to another vessel. Brush the bottom and sides of biryani vessel with little bit of ghee.
Add half of the semi-boiled rice. Pour 1/4th cup of milk on the rice with a spoon so that it gets equally distributed.
Add half of the mutton masala and spread it evenly over rice. Now add rest of the rice and spread evenly.Pour rest of the milk and masala, spread evenly.

Add fried onions on top, spread
evenly.

Cover the lid and put the vessel on low flame (on smallest burner).
[If the lid seals well, its good. Otherwise, seal the lid with the help of atta dough so as to preserve the aroma inside.]

Leave it to took for 25 mins.

Mumbai special mutton biryani is ready!





1 comment:

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