Savitha's Kitchen: Mutton Dhum Biriyani

We got our shipment, last weekend. So I was busy unpacking them, and arranging. I used to wonder, which is easy, packing or unpacking. According to me packing is easy. Because, we just dump everything in the boxes. But unpacking and arranging involves lot more planning and work.Finally managed with the shipment. But not yet started clicking. This is another recipe from my draft.

Among biriyanis, mutton has a significant place. The taste can never be beaten by other biriyanis. H loves mutton a lot. Since it has lot of fat, I used to avoid it as much as possible. We used to prepare it once in a month. Dhum biriyanis are lot more tastier than pressure cooked ones. It involves , some more time, but its worth the effort.

Ingredients:

For the Gravy :

1.Mutton - 1 lb

2.Onion - 2 big + 1

3.Tomatoes - 2

4.Green chillies - 2

5.Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

6.Curd - 2 tbsp

7.Mint leaves - 1/4 cup

8.Cilantro - 1/4 cup

9.Salt - to taste

10.Orange color - a pinch

11.Turmeric pwdr - a pinch

12.Chilli pwdr - 1 tsp

For tempering:

1.Ghee - 1/4 cup

2.Oil - 1/2 cup

3.Cinnamon - 1 inch

4.Cloves - 5

5.Cardamom pods - 3

6.Bay leaves - 3

7.Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

For the rice:

1.Basmati rice - 2 cups

2.Water - 6 cups

3.Cinnamon - 1/2 inch

4.Cloves - 3

5.Bay leaves - 1

6.Oil - 2 tsp

7.Salt - 1/2 tsp

* Wash the mutton well . Pressure cook it with little ginger and garlic paste, tuemeric pwdr for 3 whistles or untill they are cooked well. Wash the basmati rice gently. Soak the rice for atleast 20 minutes and strain it for a while, aprox 10 minutes.

* Slice the onions thinly. Slit the green chillies. Take a pan, add ghee and oil. Let it be hot. Then add the tempering ingredients . When the whole garam masalas, crackle, now add sliced onions , green chillies and saute it till golden brown. Add the chilli powder and saute , till it looses its raw smell.

* Add ginger garlic paste and when the raw smell escapes, add the cubed tomatoes. Sprinkle some salt to the tomato, let it cook for a while .Add chopped mint leaves and cook.Now add the curd and mix it.In another pan, fry the remaining onion till crisp. Now

* When the gravy is almost done, start the process of the rice. This way, the cooked rice will be hot enough , to be added to the gravy.Take a pan of water, add salt, oil, cinnamon ,cloves and bay leaves. Once the water comes to rolling boil, add the soaked and strained rice to the pan. Cook the rice , till it is 80% done. Strain the cooked rice ,using a colander. Keep the rice ready.

* By the now, the gravy is ready, add the cooked mutton to the pan. Thoroughly mix the mutton with the gravy. Cover the pan with a lid . Adjust salt to taste. By now , oil will come out . Add chopped cilantro at the end. The gravy should be thick.Take a oven proof pan or a dutch oven . First layer it with the mutton gravy.

* Now ,layer the cooked rice on top of the mutton. Sprinkle some fried onion, chopped cilantro. Add orage colour to water and add it on top.Close the lid and keep it in a oven pre heated @350 degree F. Keep the rice in dhum for about 2o minutes. If you don't have a oven just heat a tawa and place the pan on top.