SHAHI HYDERABADI BIRIYANI

Ingredients:

Mutton - 1 kg
Onions – 5 to 6 chopped onions
Garlic - 1 cups
Ginger - 3/4 cup
Green Chillies - about 10
Mint Leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Cloves - 10 to 15
Cinnamon - Three 5” pieces
Nutmeg or Jaiphal - Less than ¼ piece
Mace or Javitri - 1 piece
Small Cardamoms - 10
Black Cardamoms - 1
Tomatoes - Approx. 3
Yogurt - 3 to 4 tbsp
Lemon Juice - About ½ lemon’s juice
Red food colour
Salt to taste

For Rice:
Rice - 6 cups
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon – 1” stick
Small Cardamoms - 2
Mint Leaves - a handful
Coriander Leaves - a handful
Lemon juice - Juice of 1 lemon
Water - 12 cups
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Grind cloves, cardamoms, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon to a fine powder. To this add garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and salt and grind to a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.
2. Marinate mutton with this paste for atleast 15 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee. Fry onions till light brown. Keep aside some onions for garnishing.
4. Add marinated mutton and cook for a while. Add tomatoes, yogurt, lemon juice and little water and cook till mutton is tender.
(Take care not to make too much gravy)
5. Meanwhile, keep 12 cups of water to boil. Add cloves, cinnamon, small cardamoms, mint leaves and coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and let it boil. Add rice and let it cook.
6.When rice is 3/4th done, strain & transfer over mutton.
7. Do not mix. With big spoon, make slits for air. Add ghee & red colour. Cover first with wet cloth, then with lid, and keep a weight over the lid. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Garnish with fried onions and cashewnuts.
Serve with raita.
Raita:
Beat 1 cup yogurt. Add 1/4 cup water, finely sliced green chillies, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat well and serve with biryani.