Dindigal Mutton Biryani

#8 Amma's Recipe

I love biryani and am back with another delicious biryani recipe. Hope you have already read my older posts on Madrasi Chicken Dum Biryani, Mutton Dum Biryani and The Royal Biryani. They are to die for.... And now am sharing with you my Mom's (of course its hers...trust me am not that good) DINDIGUL MUTTON BIRYANI! 

Dindigul is a city in Southern Tamil Nadu. Every state in India has their unique way of making biryani. And this Dindigul Biryani is so famous at places like Sivakasi (one of the best cuisines in India), Madurai, Dindigul, Virudhunagar and many more cities close by. Its so different from the Mughal biryani. And I have to tell you, this one tastes just like the biryani at Hotel Junior Kuppanna. So so goood!!! 

Milagai Muttai Varuval, cucumber raita are the best accomplishments for this biryani. Biryani Kathirikai that are served with the mughal biryani does not go with this. This biryani is cooked in a pressure cooker, the ingredients may look long, the process may seem difficult but actually they are not. Cooking in a pressure cooker is so easy. 

This recipe is a keeper of my mom's. Do try and enjoy! 

You Will Need:

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

3 Bay leaves

4 Kalpasi / Black Stone Flower

2 Star Anise

1 kg or 5 Cups of Seeraga Samba Rice

1 Kg Mutton, Large Cuts

5 Medium Sized Onions, Sliced

1/2 Kg Tomato, Chopped

10 Green Chillies

1 Handful Mint, Chopped

1 Handful Coriander Leaves, Chopped

100 ml Yogurt

Salt to Taste

100 ml Ghee

100 ml Vegetable Oil

 7 1/2 Cups of Water ( 1:1.5 Rice Water ratio)

Spice Powder:

3 Cinnamon Sticks

12 Cardamom Pods

12 Cloves

Masala Paste:

10 Green Chillies

100g Shallots

100g Ginger

100g Garlic Cloves

1 Handful Mint Leaves

1 Handful Coriander Leaves

Mutton Marination:

100 ml yogurt

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Little Salt

Juice of 1 Lemon

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Wash the mutton and marinate the mutton with all the ingredients for marination for at least 30 mins. 

Step 2:

Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and fry the spices for spice powder and grind into a fine powder.

 

Step 3:

Grind all the ingredients for masala paste into a smooth paste. 

Step 4:

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and crackle fennel seeds, bay leaves, kalpasi and star anise. Add the sliced onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. 

Step 5: 

Add the masala paste and mix well. Cook for 2 - 3 mins with the lid on.

Step 6:

Now add the mint, coriander leaves, tomatoes and curd. Give a good mix and cook for 5 - 7 mins on high. 

Step 7:

Add the marinated mutton and mix until everything is well incorporated. Then add salt and spice powder and cook for 10 10 mins on medium flame. Stirring continuously to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom. 

Step 8:

Pour required water and cook with the pressure cooker lid on until 2 whistles /sounds. Meanwhile wash and soak the rice for 15 - 20 mins. Once the mutton is cooked take off heat and wait till the pressure is released. 

Step 9:

Bring the biryani gravy to boil and add the soaked rice. Let the rice boil and soak up half of the water. Give a good mix and cook for 20 mins on low heat with the pressure cooker lid on. 

Step 10:

Take off heat after 20 mins and wait for the pressure to release. Then run a flap metal spatula around the biryani and invert into a large serving dish and gently mix so that the masala and the rice are uniform. 

Serve hot with any accomplishments you like! 

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Happy Cooking!