Malabar Mutton Biryani

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A delicious, fragrant, and straightforward recipe for Malabar Mutton Biryani.

The Recipe Intro↓ has more information, related links as well the Recipe Video. If you’d like to check it out.

Prep time: 40 min Cook time:40 min Yield: 8-10 servings

You can strike through ingredients, as you prep them, by clicking on the ingredient.

Ingredients

MUTTON (Goat) - I like to have some bone as well		750 gms- 1KG
Basmati Rice		750 gms / 4 cups
Sliced red onion		300 gms / 2 ½ cups
FINELY sliced onions - to fry (I use my Mandoline Slicer)		250 gms / 2 cups
Garlic		50 gms / 2 Tbsp
Freshly peeled ginger		50 gms / 2 Tbsp
Small green chillies		5-8
Kerala Garam Masala powder - (My Garam Masala recipe in notes)		15 gms / 1 Tbsp
Mild chili powder		3 tsp
Coriander powder		3 tsp
Turmeric powder		¾ + ¼ tsp
Fennel seed powder		½ Tbsp
Black pepper powder		¼ - ½ tsp
Cashew nuts ( to be ground to a paste with very little water)		¾ cup
Fresh juicy Pineapple, diced		45 gms / ½ cup
Tomatoes, diced		225 gms / 1 ½ cups
Fresh Coriander and Mint leaves		25 gms each
Cashews (for garnish)		A handful
Sultanas/ Kismis (for garnish)		A handful
Sunflower oil (for frying the garnish)		½ - ¾ cup
Ghee/Clarified butter (divided,2 Tbsp & 4 Tbsp)		5-6 generous Tbsp
Whole Garam Masala (cardamom, cloves & cinnamon- Use fresh spice)		30 gms / 2 Tbsp
Fresh Lime Juice		2 ½ Tbsp
Rosewater (Good Quality rose water will taste fresh and have no bitter taste )		3 Tbsp
Saffron		1 tsp
Salt (about 3 tsp for the rice, 1 tsp for the masala)		To taste

Method:

 (Prep for Malabar Mutton Biryani )

1. The onions for the garnish should be sliced finer than for the masala – use a mandolin slicer.
2. The ginger, garlic, and green chili should be crushed – separately or together to a paste. Using a stone pestle and mortar is best for this.
3. Grind the (¾ cup) cashews to a fine paste, adding just a small amount of water.
4. Rinse the rice well and drain.
5. Cook the cleaned, rinsed mutton in ¾ tsp turmeric and salt to taste (About 1 tsp) in just enough water to cook the mutton in a pressure cooker.  Cook till the mutton is tender but firm. It takes about 6 steam whistles in my cooker.
6. Drain the mutton. Set aside and reserve the soup/gravy.

To cook the Rice:

1. Bring 6 cups of water in a pot to boil. Add the rice.
2. Bring back to a simmer and add the whole spices (cardamom, cloves and cinnamon).
3. Add salt to taste – about 3 tsp.
4. Add 2 Tbsp Fresh squeezed lime juice and 2 Rounded Tbsp of the ghee . Stir well.
5. Close and cook on low till the water is absorbed and the rice is very fluffy. (I find, my rice cooker is perfect for this. I switch off the power when the light switches to ‘WARM’ and allow the rice to sit a while before opening.)
6. While the rice cooks heat the sunflower oil in a small wok.
7. Add the FINELY sliced onions in batches and fry to a golden color. (The onions will take some time to START turning golden, but once they are golden, they will quickly turn black if you don’t keep an eye on them. Turn the heat to LOW and drain from the oil as soon as they are golden)
8. Drain on paper towels. Soon after they are drained they turn very crispy.
9. In the same oil, fry the cashew nuts and raisins(kismis) for garnish, separately and drain on paper towels as well.

To make the Masala:

1. To a pressure cooker, add some of the oil used for frying the onions (about ¼ cup) as well as the remaining ghee (4 Tbsp).
2. When hot, add the sliced onions and saute till nicely softened. Then add the crushed ginger, garlic, and green chili and saute well.
3. Add all the spice powders ( garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, fennel, and black pepper) next and stir well till aromatic.
4. Next, add the smooth cashew paste and stir well till thoroughly mixed and oil separates from the sides.
5. Sprinkle a little salt to taste.
6. Add tomatoes and Pineapple. Stir and cook down briefly.
7. Add some chopped coriander and mint leaves.
8. Add the pre-cooked Mutton to the masala and toss well to coat with all the ingredients.
9. Crush a big handful of the crisply fried onions and add to the Mutton Masala.
10. Add just enough of the gravy from cooking the mutton earlier to the cooker now, stirring the masala well from the bottom of the pot. Add just enough gravy to get all of the masala ‘wet’ and prevent the spices from burning. We want a thick gravy.
11. Taste and add salt if required. ( We added salt to the mutton and also a little to the masala- the rice also has salt so keep this all in mind. Too much or too little salt can ruin a Biriyani!)
12. Close the cooker and cook on low- medium heat for a single steam whistle. (If not using a pressure cooker, just cook till tender).
13. Place the Masala on the bottom of an Ovenproof dish or a disposable aluminum tray.
14. Sprinkle some fried onions, cashew, and raisins, reserving more for the top and individual plates.
15. Top with fluffed up rice to the top, pressing gently. Reserve some rice for later.
16. Mix the rose water and saffron together and drizzle all over the rice.
17. Sprinkle some of the fried garnish over the top.
18. Seal the tray with foil paper and bake in a PREHEATED 200 ºc oven for 10 minutes and turn off the oven.
19. Alternatively, you can use the ‘Dum’ Method: Layer the rice in the same way in a wide pot with lid and seal the lid  by making a dough out of plain flour and water and forming into a rope to line all around the rim of the pot. Place the lid on the ‘dough – rim’ and press gently. Cook on indirect heat (On top of a flat pan that has been preheated on the stove)  and cook for 10 minutes on a low flame. Allow to rest before cracking the dough seal.
20. (Placing ‘Hot coals’ on top of the lid is recommended if you can manage that.)
21. Gently toss the rice with the masala, without over mixing the masala into the rice. (Fold it in).
22. Sprinkle a layer of the reserved white rice over the platter of rice OR on each serving of biriyani. This makes the rice more appealing.
23. Garnish each plate with a little fried onion, raisins, and cashews also.
24. Serve with a ‘Raita’  – Yoghurt Based salad with onions, tomatoes, salt, green chili and fresh coriander (You can add diced cucumber and carrot as well). Or ‘Challaas’ – Pickled Onion.  See Recipe Intro page⇓.

Malabar Mutton Biryani

 

Notes:

• Recipe for Challaas (onion vinegar salad on the intro page⇓)
• Recipe for Kerala style Nadan Garam Masala.
• Some like boiled eggs as a garnish on their Malabar Mutton Biryani.
• When cooking the Mutton masala for Malabar Mutton Biryani, use a medium flame and do not overcook. The addition of the cashew paste means you have to be careful it does not stick to the bottom. If you have time, you can cook on low heat stirring occasionally till the mutton is cooked tender.
• You can serve it with Lime Pickle – See Recipe
• Here are various types of famous biryani that you should try!

Key Ingredients (Malabar Mutton Biryani ): Mutton, Basmati rice, Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Green chili, Oil, Ghee, Tomato, Pineapple, Cashew-nut, Mint, Coriander, Spices, Sultanas.

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