Hyderabadi Biryani

Ingredients for Hyderabadi Biryani:

• Basmati Rice - 500 gms.
• Mutton( or Chicken) cut into small pieces - 1 kg.
• Garam Masala - 2 teaspoon
• Red chilies - 6 nos.
• Cashewnuts - A handful
• Onions (sliced fine and fried till crisp) - 5 nos.
• Cloves - 2 nos.
• Dalchini (
  Cinnamon) - 2 pieces
• Elaichi (Cardamom) - 3 nos.
• Green chilies  6 nos.
• Kothmir (Coriander) chopped – 1 small bunch
• Pudina (Peppermint) chopped - 1 small bunch
• Ginger Garlic paste – 3 teaspoon
• Saffron (dissolved in ¾ cup milk) - 2 pinches
• Curd beaten - 1 cup
• Lime juice - 2 nos.
• Eggs boiled - 4 nos.
• Ghee /Oil - 5 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Grind the red chilies and cashewnuts to a fine paste.
• To the mutton apply the ginger - garlic paste and beaten curd. Set aside.
• Heat 4 tablespoon ghee and fry the red chili masala.
• Add the marinated mutton, ¼ of the fried onion, one teaspoon garam masala and salt to taste.
• Keep frying till ghee separates. Add 1½ cups warm water. Pressure cook till tender.
• Heat dekchi, add 1 tablespoon ghee and fry the sabut masala.
• Add the rice and fry a little. Add the green chilies and salt to taste.
• Add enough warm water. Cook till rice is done, remove and spread on a thali, discarding the whole masala.
• Mix together the chopped kothmir, pudina, garam masala and fried onion.
• Set aside.
• Take a heavy bottlomed dekchi and line it with ghee.
• Spread a layer of rice and cover it with half of the mutton. Sprinkle half of the pudina / kothmir mixture and juice of 1 lime.
• Cover with rice, followed by a mutton layer. Finish with a rice layer.
• Sprinkle the rice with saffron milk and dot with ghee.
• Cover tightly and place over a griddle for dum for 20 minutes.
• Serve hot Hyderabadi Biryani garnished with eggs cut into halves.