What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when we say Eid? Biryani, of course! Just the thought of hot, spicy mutton biryani served with a cooling raita and hot kebabs has us drooling.
There are two kinds of people around Eid: one who asks for biryani and the other who lovingly sends out biryani to friends and family. No matter which person you are, get ready to turn into the ultimate biryani pro with our tips on how to make the perfect mutton biryani.
Whether this is your first time at cooking mutton biryani or you simply want to try a new recipe, you’ve come to the right place.
Tips To Cook A Flavourful Mutton Biryani
- Utensils: Cook your biryani in a thick bottomed, wide pan to prevent burning and sticking. Remember to cook on a low medium-low flame to avoid burning. Copper or brass utensils are a great choice to cook biryani. Make sure you pick out a utensil that is big enough. There should be a little space left after adding in all the ingredients.
- Ratios: Use a 1:1 ratio of meat to rice by weight, i.e., 1kg meat to 1kg rice. This way, you don’t end up with too much or too little of either.
- Best Cuts: Lamb or Goat Biryani Cut are specially crafted for biryani with more bone-in pieces so that the marrow thickens and enriches the masala. Order Goat Biryani Cut from Licious. It consists of bone-in pieces that ensure flavours infuse into the biryani for a rich, authentic taste.
- Marination: The longer, the better! Marinate overnight or even up to 48 hours. Avoid adding salt during marination. It dehydrates the meat and could result in dry pieces in your biryani. Instead, add salt halfway through cooking the biryani.
- Choice of Rice: Opt for basmati rice. Biryani hits different when its cooked with basmati. It is an excellent choice as it has a naturally nutty flavour that complements the spices used for cooking biryani. Also, the natural aroma of basmati is an integral part of biryani. Do not stir your rice; that breaks up the grains and spoils the look of the biryani. Long and intact grains look better and more inviting.
- Layering: Cook all ingredients separately. Biryani is a layered dish, and that’s how the final flavour and richness are achieved. Make sure the meat is well cooked before layering. Start by adding half the rice at the bottom. Then add the cooked meat in the centre, then add the rest of the rice on top.
- Garnish: Garnish with birista or crispy fried onions. Cut onions into thin slices and fry them on a medium-low flame. They crisp up really well and get extremely golden.
How To Keep Biryani On Dum?
Dum is an Mughlai cooking technique where the food is cooked on a low flame. It is tightly sealed with a dough. This allows the food to cook internally thus making it quite flavourful. Keeping the biryani on dum helps steam the dish, spread its aromas throughout, and cook the rice the rest of the way. Do not add extra water during this step. The rice soaks up the moisture from the marinade. Only add water if the rice is still uncooked at the end.
Here’s how you can keep biryani on dum.
- Tight lid with a weight on top
- Wrap the top with aluminum foil
- Use the traditional roti dough method around the edge of the pot.
Cook for 15-20 mins on dum, on medium heat, and then for an extra 10 on low. To prevent burning, you can place a Tawa and then place your biryani pot on top of this. A barrier will be created between the flame and your pot.