Mutton Biryani (Ooru style)

Biryani is made in many versions, differs from region to region. This version of mutton biryani taste exactly like the one you get in most of the down south tamil nadu hotels. It's main speciality is this biryani is made of seeraga samba rice (Jeera samba). The flavour is totally different from  the basmathi rice and it's main quality is you won't feel very heavy after having this biryani compared to our usual basmathi rice biryani. Most of the biryani will be accompanied with a curry but for this you don't have to prepare a separate curry.

Ingredients

300 gms Mutton
2 cups Seeraga samba rice
2 large Onions
1 Tomato
4 green chillies
1 1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
Handfull of Pudina(Mint leaves)
1 tablespoon Yogurt
1 Bay leaf
1 Star anise
2 cardamom
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Oil
Ghee (Unclarified butter)
Salt
For Masala 1
15-18 Shallots
Masala 2
5 Cloves
10-15 dry red chilllies
10 shallots
1 inch Cinnamon stick


Method

• Roughly slice the big onions and tomato.
• Marinate the mutton with a teaspoon of turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste and salt an hour before you prepare the biryani, refrigerate the marinated mutton  for an hour. This step is purely optional.
• Grind separately the shallots i.e masala 1.
• Grind into fine paste with the ingredients mentioned in the masala 2 column.
• In a heavy bottom pan or in a pressure cooker heat oil and a tablespoon of ghee and then add the cardamom, bay leaf,  fennel seeds, star anise.
• When the fennel seeds splutters add the chopped big onions and slitted green chilly.
• When the onions turns translucent add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the tomatoes and salt, when it turns gooey add both the masalas and saute till the raw smell goes off.
• Add the mint leaves and yogurt and mutton.
• Add two cups of water and pressure cook till the mutton is well cooked.
• ONLY AFTER THE MUTTON IS COOKED PERFECTLY YOU SHOULD ADD THE RICE.
• Now you can adjust the spice and salt, for extra spiciness add a tablespoon or less of red chilly powder.
• Add the washed rice and also sufficient water for the rice to get cooked.
• Pressure cooker whistles depends from one brand to another. You can cook like you regularly cook your white rice.
• When the biryani is ready stir well so the masalas will be well combined with the rice.

Note

• Periodically check whether your mutton is cooked
• If you are using a heavy bottom pan instead of cooker adjust the water accordingly and also continuously stir the rice to avoid burn in the bottom of your vessel.
• You can adjust the spice level by adding extra red chilly powder or by adding extra dry red chilly to your masala.