Mutton Kachi Biryani (Restaurant Style Mutton Biryani)

We can prepare biryani in two ways. In one method, rice and meat are cooked separately and then both meat and rice are layered and cooked in a vessel or handi sealed with dough known as "Pakki biryani". In second method, meat is marinated over night and then both rice and meat are cooked in the same pot on dum (using coal) or in a hundi sealed with dough known as "Kachi biryani".
Preparing pakki biryani is easier when compared to kachi briyani. But preparing kachi biryani is not rocket science, but we must be little careful that's it.

Today's recipe is yummy Mutton Kachi Biryani. My full recipe is at the end but I want to explain in detail.

When we see restaurant biryani, meat pieces will be coated with gravy. we will wonder but why ours is not like that. It is simple. Grind all the  spices and mix cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste salt, lemon juice, oil and curd. Add pudina/mint leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves. Marinate the meat.

Meat must be very tender.For that we can use tenderizer that available in market or pineapple or raw papaya. We have to marinate the meat over night for good result.

Water we cook rice must be seasoned. Add salt and the water must be little salty. And for flavor we will add fennel  seeds and bay leafs.

We have to soak rice for 1 hour or for at least 1/2 hour. This makes the rice long when cooked. We have to cook rice 70 % before adding to meat. The first layer must be cooked 70 % and the second layer must be cooked 80 % like that... When we are spreading the first layer of rice, the remaining rice in the pot will be cooked to 80 %. So don't strain the rice, using a wire mesh colander spoon layer the rice on meat.

I am cooking it in convection oven, but in the same method we can cook on stove top using a thick bottomed hundi sealed with dough. We can also place a pan on the stove top and then hundi on the pan to prevent meat burning. 

Chicken kachi biryani will take 1hour 30 min and mutton kachi biryani will take 2 to 3 hours depending on the meat tenderness as we cook on low heat.

Cook Time : 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.
Ingredients:

• Mutton - 2 pounds / 1 kg
• Basmati Rice - 500 grams ( 2.175 cups approx)
• Shahi Jeera / Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Onions - 2
• Salt to taste
• Bay leafs - 2
• Ghee - 5 tsp

For making Masala :

• Cardamom - 6
• Cloves - 3
• Star Anise - 2
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 no
• Bay leafs - 1
• Mace - 1
• Nutmeg - 1/4 piece
• Pepper corns - 6

For mutton marination:

• Masala we made
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1/2 cup
• Curd - 1 cup
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Lemon  juice - 2 tsp
• Mint leaves -4 tsp, chopped
• Coriander leaves - 3 tsp, chopped
• Curry leaves - 1 spring (optional, but adds flavor)
• Salt to taste

Method in convection Oven:

• Grind all the ingredients under masala to powder.
• Clean the mutton, marinate with all the ingredients under marination over night keeping in fridge.
• Fry onion in oil until brown and keep aside.
• Soak  rice for 1 hour.
• Preheat convection oven to 400 degree F.
• Boil water in a pot, add salt, fennel seeds, bay leafs, soaked rice and cook until 70 % done. It will take 4 to 5 minutes as we already soak the rice. Switch off the stove. (water must taste salty)
• Mean while spread the marinated mutton in a oven proof pan.
• When rice is 70 % done, with a wire mesh colander take the rice from water and spread on the mutton as a layer. ( mean while the remaining  rice in the water will cook to 80 %). place all the rice on top of marinated mutton as a layer and cover with aluminum foil.
• Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 Degree F and cook another 1 hour.
• Take it out and check weather mutton is done or not. If the mutton was tender it will be done by that time. If not keep in oven for some more time.
• If you feel rice was dry sprinkle some water on top.
• Enjoy restaurant style biryani at home. 

On stove top:

• Place the marinated mutton in a heavy bottomed hundi and spread cooked rice on top.
• Mix 1/2 cup wheat flour with water and prepare it like chapati dough.
• Seal the hundi using dough.
• On high heat cook for 15 minutes and on low heat cook for 2 to 2 hour 15 minutes.
• Place a pan on stove top and then place hundi on it to prevent mutton burning.