After much trial and error, I introduce to you the Best Mutton Biryani recipe you're likely to taste. Succulent goat meat is cooked with a homemade spice blend to make a delicious curry. This is layered with the best quality Sella rice and infused with aromatic saffron, kewra, and rose water. This recipe will take you back in time and make you feel as if you're seated at the royal table in the famed Mughal court.
This biryani recipe is an old family one, just like my gosht aloo Bukhara, my Nihari recipe, my zarda recipe, and my tawa fry beef keema.
History Of Biryani
Biryani is so popular in Pakistan many consider it the country’s national food. According to Bisma Tirmizi, Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of emperor Shah Jahan first created the famous rice and meat dish. The rich dish was originally created for the purpose of nourishing army soldiers.
This traditional Mughlai Biryani was rich in spices and also favored a strong use of aromatics, nuts, and dried fruits.
From there, the Nawabs of Awadh took over, and Lucknow’s Biryani was born. Slightly milder spices, less aromatics, and lots of potatoes define this version of the famed dish.
Today there are supposedly 30 versions of Biryani, and new ones continue to be created. Take one bite of any of these, and you’ll know what all the hype is about.
My Story
My best memory of eating biryani (and there are many) is eating student biryani. I was lucky it was just behind my school in Karachi, giving me easy access.
Cooked in a huge pot in a small street side stall, the biryani was sold in small bags tied with a rubber band. Many would eat it with their hands straight from the bag, a customary practice across Southeast Asia.
The biryani is greasier than what is typically cooked at home, but each bite is pure heaven. I’m not sure why, but the vivid memory that stands out is staying back in school for a play rehearsal and sharing a bag of biryani with one of my best friends, Aasiya.
I can list countless Biryani eating memories here but I know you’re dying to learn how this delicious food is created so we’ll leave those stories for another day!
The Best Mutton Biryani Recipe
Cooking Biryani is not for the faint of heart. It’s a complex dish that requires some serious cooking skills. That’s not to say that it’s impossible, after all so many people cook it. It just takes a little practice and some perseverance to become a pro at it.
My first attempt was terrible, but looking back, I didn’t really have a detailed recipe. Upon researching, as I developed this recipe, I felt that a lengthy and detailed write-up was necessary.
I’ve tried to tackle the many questions you’ll likely have as a novice chef. If you have any further questions, please post them in the comments below, I’m always here to help. For the more experienced cook, jump to the recipe and feel free to ignore my ramblings!
The Notes section of the recipe card covers many points that may help you, so be sure to read those. But here are a few more tips that may help.
Tips For Making The Best Mutton Biryani:
Rice to Meat Ratio
Biryani is perfect only when every spoonful has meat and rice in it. To ensure that, the ideal ratio is 1 pound of meat per 1 pound of rice (1 pound of rice is 2 cups). My recipe has this perfect ratio, thus the title Best Mutton Biryani Recipe.
If I chose to add potatoes, I would usually add 1-2 potatoes for this much rice and meat, depending on the size of the potatoes.
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Spices in The Rice
Biryani is meant to be a spicy dish and since the korma is cooked separately and layered with plain boiled rice, it’s important to infuse that rice with some spices. This is why The Best Mutton Biryani Recipe has a spice pouch added to the rice.
Many people simply toss the spices in but I prefer not to do that as having to pick them out or accidentally biting into them ruins the Biryani experience for me!
Add them however you please but definitely do add them!
Calculating How Much to Cook Per Person
When planning how much to cook I usually estimate about ⅓ cup of rice per person when I have other items on my menu and ½ cup per person if the Biryani is going to be my only entrée. I then calculate how much meat I need based on the meat to rice ratio above.
Of course, a lot depends on everyone’s appetites and whether or not you’re adding potatoes. Typically, I would cook 1 pound of meat and 2 cups of rice for 6 people. If I add potatoes then It may stretch to feed about 8 people.
Cook the Korma Ahead of Time
Cooking Biryani is complicated partially because there are many components to it. I often cook my Korma a day ahead of time to save some time, especially if I’m cooking for a large number of people.
On the day I plan to serve the Biryani I reheat the meat curry and add the potatoes to cook at that time. While the potatoes are cooking, I prepare the rice and then layer, steam (dum) and serve!
Fixing Undercooked or Overcooked Rice
To this day, despite years of cooking experience, I often over cook or undercook my rice. Worry not, there are easy ways to salvage the rice in either situation.
Undercooked Rice
If your rice is undercooked, add a little extra water (about ½ cup for the quantity in this recipe) when you set the Biryani to steam. This will create more steam than normal and help cook the rice through. Then add 5 extra minutes to the time that you steam the rice.
To prevent the korma at bottom from burning, don’t extend the steaming time beyond 5 minutes but leave the pot covered with the foil and the lid on for an extra 10 minutes after you’ve turned the stove off.
Overcooked Rice
For overcooked rice, lay the rice out in a thin layer in a large foil tray or other container and let the steam evaporate. This helps dry the rice out.
When in doubt about cooking times, remember that it’s easier to fix undercooked rice versus overcooked rice.
Adjusting the salt in the Rice
I would always caution you to add less salt and fix your Biryani later versus accidentally adding too much.
However, If you have added excess salt make some raita and kachumber salad and either leave the salt out or halve the quantity. When the Biryani is eaten with the Raita the saltiness will be less prominent.
If you have added too little, mix some salt with a small amount of water and drizzle on the Biryani when you steam it. This should fix it!
Mutton Biryani Recipe
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Ingredients
Biryani Masala Powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp white cumin
- 1 tsp black cumin
- 1 tsp fennel
- 8 piece green cardamom
- 4 piece black cardamom
- 10 whole cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 10 whole peppercorn
- 4 piece mace
- ½ piece nutmeg
- 4 piece star anise
- 10 whole dry red chillies
- 4 whole bay leaf
- 2 tsp salt (see notes)
- 2 tsp red chili powder (see notes)
- ½ tsp turmeric
Meat Marinade
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 inch piece ginger
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 lbs goat meat (see notes)
- 2 onions
- 4 tomatoes
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 green chilies
- Biryani Masala
The Korma
- ½ cup cooking oil (see notes)
- 10 pieces aloo bukhara (see notes)
- 2 potatoes
The Rice
- 4 cups sela rice (see notes)
- 2 tsp salt (see notes)
- 4 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 peppercorns
- ½ tsp black cumin
Biryani Dum
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 10 strands saffron
- 1 tbsp kewra water
- ½ tsp rose water
- 1 tsp yellow food coloring
- 1 lemon
- 2 green chilies
- ¼ cup mint
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
Biryani Masala Powder
- Heat a non stick frying pan and dry roast all of the whole spices (see notes)
- Grind the roasted spices to a fine powder
- Mix in the salt, red chili powder and turmeric to the roasted mixture
Meat Marinade
- Grind the garlic, ginger, and green chilies to a paste.
- Slice the onions very thin, heat the ¼ cup oil add the onions fry till brown and crispy.
- Quarter the tomatoes and steam them in ¼ cup water. Mash and cool to room temperature. (see notes)
- Puree the ginger, garlic, green chilies, fried onions, tomatoes, yogurt, and biryani masala until you have a thick paste.
- Marinate the goat meat with this mixture and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours minimum. (see notes)
The Korma
- Once the meat has marinated for 2 hours, set it on the counter to come to room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients (see notes)
- Soak the aloo bukhara in 1 cup of water to soften it a little bit
- Peel, slice, and quarter the potatoes and fry them until the outside is brown and crispy. (see notes)
- Heat ½ cup of oil, add the marinated meat and start cooking it.
- Roast well for 5-10 minutes; add the aloo Bukhara and enough water to cover the meat. Cover, and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes.
- Uncover, dry the liquid and add then add the fried potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of water and simmer until the potatoes are 80% cooked.
- set the meat aside and start prepping to cook your rice.
The Rice
- Soak the rice in about 3 times the water for 4 hours minimum (see notes)
- Add the rice, salt, spices, and enough water to boil the rice. Boil for about 10-15 minutes, till the rice is about 80% cooked, and then strain it, discarding the whole spices. (see notes)
Biryani Dum
- Soak the saffron in the milk for about 20-30 minutes.
- Wash and trim the cilantro and mint as needed.
- Slice the limes into thin slices.
- Slice the green chilies lengthwise, in half or quarters, depending on their size.
- Add the korma as the first layer. (see notes)
- Top with the rice, completely covering the korma.
- Drizzle the food coloring, saffron-infused milk, kewra water, and rose water on the rice.
- Layer the lemons, green chilies, cilantro, and mint on top.
- Cover with foil, making sure the pot is sealed tight.
- cover your pot and reduce the flame to the lowest setting (see notes)
- after 20 minutes, uncover carefully and gently fold to mix the korma and rice.
Notes
- Which rice to use - Sela rice is ideal for biryani as it is very aromatic and has a long grain.
- Salting the rice - The rice must be well-salted for the dish's flavor to come through. Two teaspoons of salt are essential to the recipe as the rice is strained, and the water is discarded.
- Soaking the rice - The soaking time has been given with Sella Rice in mind. If you opt for traditional Basmati rice, only soak for up to two hours. A lot of water is needed as the rice expands during the soaking. Start with at least three times the water and check periodically to see if the rice has absorbed too much water and needs to be added more.
- Cooking the rice - To cook correctly, there must be at least 30% more water than rice. Everyone has a different stove and cooking utensils, so to test if the rice is 80% cooked, take a grain and squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger. If it breaks into precisely two pieces, it's ready to be strained.
Lyndsey
I love mutton biryani, unfortunately not easily found here ? have to make do with goat. This biryani looks really delicious and traditional! I can imagine the aroma and the flavors! Your pictures are wonderful, the ingredients ones too. The mint one is my favorite and also clicks- https://www.a1indiancurry.sg/
Nosheen Babar
Hi Lyndsey,
In Pakistan and India mutton usually refers to goat. This recipe can be cooked with lamb or goat. Hope you decide to try it and like it.
Arijita
Thank you for the recipe. I tried biryani for the first time today following your blog. It turned out very yummy.
untoldrecipesbynosheen
Thank You Arijita! I'm glad you liked it and that it turned out well! I hope you try other recipes from my blog too!
Mr. White
Could I use oxtail instead of mutton ?
Nosheen Babar
You can try it. I’ve never cooked oxtail personally but I’m sure it would work.
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untoldrecipesbynosheen
Thank you. Glad you like it ?
Kim
Love Pakistan. I have cook goat briyani using Shan briyani Masala few weeks ago to share with my colleagues. Was great. Now I am going to cook your recipe and cook more Pakistan food from you. Thanks for sharing
untoldrecipesbynosheen
Thank You Kim! I love Shan Masala too! Thank You for trying my recipe! Hope you like it!