Hyderabadi Kachchi Mutton Dum Biryani

 

           Biryani is an all time favorite one pot meal with most of us. So check out this easy and a hassle free Hyderabadi style Kachchi Mutton Biryani. It is cooked in a dum style, where the marinated mutton and half cooked rice are layered and then slow cooked to perfection. It goes well with just a simple raita as an accompaniment. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this extremely flavorful delicacy. 

  

          There are many popular eateries around the place serving lip smacking Biryani to its esteemed customers. You can also find long queues for the parcel Biryani to be enjoyed at home. So whenever I am in Hyderabad, I make it a point to enjoy this delicacy. It is pure divine. 

There are two methods of making a Biryani - Kachchi & Pakki. Hyderabad is know for the Kachchi style Biryani. Kachchi means raw where mutton is marinated overnight and then it is layered in a pot along with half cooked rice and cooked in a dum style. 

          

          In a Pakki Biryani, the meat and rice are cooked separately and then cooked in a layered method again, but in a lesser time duration. If you are short of time for the marination, use raw papaya paste as a tenderizer. This will help speed up the cooking process. I have not used any as I marinated overnight. 

         

         This is a great party recipe, a must during wedding or special occasions  and a nice comfort meal for a weekend lunch with your loved ones. Traditionally, Hyderabadi Biryani is served with Mirchi Ka Salan or Bagara Baingan. However, it can also be had on its own or with some raita. So go ahead and cook up this yummy Biryani and enjoy !!!!

Marination - 

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, curry cut 
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. biryani masala powder
• 2-3 tbsp. oil (in which the onion has been fried)
• 1/3 cup yoghurt
• handful of mint & coriander leaves, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 cup fried onion, crushed

Rice - 

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1" cinnamon
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 2 tbsp. mint & coriander leaves, chopped

Garnishing - 

• 3 tbsp. fried onion
• 1 tsp. dry rose petals
• handful of mint & coriander leaves, chopped
• pinch of saffron mixed with 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/4 cup rice water
• 1 tsp. rose / kewra water

Other ingredients - 

• 2-3 onion, sliced
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2 boiled eggs

          Marination - Marinate the mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under MARINATION overnight or for a minimum of 5-6 hours. 

          Fried Onion - Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion till light golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside. 

          Rice - Bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil along with all the ingredients mentioned under RICE. Add the rice and cook till it is 50 % done. Drain and keep aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of the rice water for later use.

          To Assemble -  Grease a thick bottomed pot and transfer the marinated mutton. Spread it evenly. Then sprinkle some of the fried onion and mint-coriander leaves. 

          Now spread the rice evenly over the mutton and add all the ingredients for GARNISHING.

          Cover with an aluminum foil and then place a tight lid on top. Cook on a high flame for 5 minutes and then place the pot on a hot tawa.

          Cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes more and on a low flame for 30-35 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it remain covered for 15-20 minutes

   

          Serve with boiled eggs, raita, onion and lime wedges for a weekend comfort lunch. 

                        Marinate the mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under

                        MARINATION overnight or minimum for 5-6 hours. 

    Bring water to a boil along with all the ingredients mentioned under RICE. 

                                 Add the rice and cook till it is 50 % done.

                                  Drain and keep aside. 

                              Grease a thick bottomed pan and transfer the marinated mutton.

                           Then sprinkle some of the fried onion and mint-coriander leaves. 

                                 Spread the rice evenly over the mutton.

                                  Add all the ingredients for GARNISHING.

                    Cover with an aluminum foil & then place a tight lid on the top. Cook on

                    a high flame for 5 min. Then place the pan on a hot tawa & cook on a med.

                    flame for 5 min. more. Then on a low flame for 30-35 min. Let it remain 

                    covered for 15-20 minutes.

                                 Serve with boiled eggs, raita, onion and lime wedges.

                      

Guddu Ulli Karam (Egg Curry - Andhra style)

 

          Eggs are universally popular and everybody's favorite. It happens to be my favorite too. A variety of dishes can be prepared with eggs. It is a perfect comfort food. You can enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack or dinner. The choice is yours. 

           So I would like to share a very easy and a quick Andhra style Egg Curry, which I tried for the first time and I simply enjoyed my meal. You can leave the eggs whole if you prefer. However, I like to halve them. Both spicy and tangy, this is an absolute delicacy. You can enjoy with steamed rice, any Indian flat bread, dosa or appam. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this yummy flavorful dish. 

• 3 eggs, boiled
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

Grind - 

• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 pod garlic
• 4-5 Kashmiri red chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• salt to taste 

          Grind all the mentioned ingredients into a coarse paste and keep aside. Slice the eggs into half if you wish. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the ground paste and stir fry on a medium flame till it is well cooked. Drop in the eggs and mix well so that it is well coated.

          Cover and cook for a minute each, on both sides. When done, add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. 

          Enjoy as a side dish with steamed rice, any Indian flat bread, dosa or appam. 

                         Grind all the mentioned ingredients into a coarse paste & keep aside.

  

                    Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Sauté 

                    for a few seconds. 

                      Add the ground paste & stir fry on a medium flame till it is well cooked. 

                                  Drop in the eggs and mix well so that it is well coated.

                                  Cover and cook for a minute each, on both sides. 

                                When done, add lime juice & garnish with coriander leaves.

                    Enjoy as a side dish with steamed rice, any Indian flat bread, dosa or appam. 

Achari Mutton Biryani

 

           Check out my version of a yummy Mutton Biryani where I gave a twist by adding some homemade mango pickle. This gave the Biryani a slightly different flavour. I also added some dry roasted and ground achari powder and this gave a slight hint of achari taste to the dish. It turned out simply awesome. Serve this yummy one-pot delicacy with some raita, onion rings and lime wedges. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this universally popular delicacy.

          In this recipe, I cooked the mutton and the rice separately. Then layered it and cooked on a dum style. This is a perfect one-pot meal and a nice option for a weekend lunch with your loved ones. This is also a great party recipe or any special occasions. 

Marination - 

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, curry cut
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. achari powder
• 1 tsp. mustard oil
• 2 tbsp. yoghurt

To dry roast & grind Achari Masala -  

• 1 tsp. nigella seeds 
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds 
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds 

Rice - 

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1" cinnamon
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 mace

Mutton curry - 

• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 small potatoes
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp. bottled pickle masala

Garnishing - 

• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. fried onions
• 1 tbsp. ghee 
• few strands of saffron mixed in 1/4 cup milk
• 1-2 boiled eggs, 

            Dry roast the ingredients under Achari Masala and keep aside to cool. Then grind into a fine powder. 

          Marination - Marinate the mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under MARINATION and 2 tsp. of the achari masala for 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

          Rice - Bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil along with all the ingredients mentioned under RICE. Add the rice and simmer till it is almost done (al dente). Drain and keep aside. 

          Mutton Curry - Heat oil and fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion till light brown. Add the tomato and cook till it is well mashed. 

         Now add the marinated mutton and cook, covered on a low flame till almost dry. Add 1 cup water and the fried potatoes. 

         Pressure cook for 20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. Transfer the contents back to the pan and add the bottled pickle masala and simmer till the gravy thickens.

          To Assemble - Grease a thick bottomed pan and layer with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle some fried onion and coriander leaves.

          Spread the cooked mutton (keep aside the potatoes) evenly over the rice and again sprinkle coriander leaves + fried onion.

          Top it up with the remaining rice, coriander leaves, fried onion, cooked potatoes, boiled egg, saffron milk and ghee. 

          Cover and cook on dum on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. Serve with raita, onion rings and lime wedges for a weekend comfort lunch. 

                    Dry roast the ingredients under Achari Masala & keep aside to cool. Then 

                    grind into a fine powder. 

                              Marinate mutton along with all the ingredients mentioned under 

                  MARINATION & 2 tsp. of achari masala for 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

                     Bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil along with all the ingredients 

                     mentioned under RICE. 

                                  Add the rice.

                                  Simmer till it is almost done. 

                                  (al dente)

                                  Drain and keep aside. 

 Heat oil & fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Drain & keep aside.

 In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion till light brown. 

                                  Add the tomato and cook till it is well mashed. 

                                  Now add the marinated mutton.

                                  Cook, covered on a low flame till almost dry. 

                                   Add 1 cup water and the fried potatoes. 

                         Pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

                                  Transfer the contents back to the pan. 

                              Add the bottled pickle masala & simmer till the gravy thickens.

                      Grease a thick bottomed pan & layer with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle

                      some fried onion & coriander leaves.

                      Spread the cooked mutton (keep aside the potatoes) evenly over the rice &

                      again sprinkle coriander leaves + fried onion.

Top it up with the remaining rice, coriander leaves, fried onion, cooked 

 potatoes, boiled egg, saffron milk & ghee. Cover & cook on dum on a 

                  low flame for 8-10 minutes.

 Serve with raita, onion rings and lime wedges for a weekend comfort lunch.