Mutton Dum Biryani -Instant pot

Serves 6

Time 2 hrs (24 hour marination)

 Ingredients:

Marinate

3 lbs Goat leg cut in small pieces

2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 cup yogurt

6-8 green chilies slit or 2 Jalapenos cut in quarters

6 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

4 cardamoms

8 peppercorns

1 tsp Shahjeera

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

1/2 cup mint chopped

salt to taste

Biryani

4 cups Basmati Rice

4 - 6 cups warm water

1/4 cup oil

2 tbsp Ghee

4 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 cardamoms

1/4 cup cilantro and mint

salt to taste

Garnish

1 large onion caramelized in a tsp of oil and sprinkle of salt. 

Directions

Marinate all ingredients under Marinate for 24 hours in refrigerator.

Set instantpot on saute and heat 1/4 cup of oil till warm. Add the marinate. 

Cancel Saute mode. Close lid and pressure cook for 12 mins.

Wash the basmati rice till water runs clear and leave it to soak. 

Heat 4 - 6 cups of water, just heat do not boil.

You can caramelize the onion at this time and set aside.

When instantpot naturally releases pressure open lid. You may see good amount of liquid.

Gauge that liquid. With no liquid, you would need 6 cups of water. Reduce water by a cup or two based on the amount liquid you see in the mutton. 

Drain the soaked rice and place on the cooked mutton. 

Add whole spices, cilantro mint and salt. 

Add heated water. 

Add Ghee. 

Do not stir during this process. 

Close lid and pressure cook for 6 mins. 

When pressure is released naturally, gently stir from the bottom.

Move to a serving dish.

Garnish with caramelized onions.

Enjoy!!!!

Gongura Mutton

Gongura, without which an authentic Andhra meal is considered incomplete, is rarely found here in US. In the last couple of years it is found during summer months in Indian stores. I never pass on gongura if I find it. It is one of my favorite greens. Besides being a rich source of iron and anti oxidants it has a wonderful sour taste.

Gongura mutton is a very popular Andhra recipe. Gongura when cooked with tender mutton, enhances the taste of the mutton to a new degree.


Ingredients:

2 lbs mutton
2 onions chopped
6 – 8 cups of chopped gongura leaves
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Garam Masala:

6 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamoms
4 tsp coriander seeds

Tampering:

½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 red chili broken
Curry leaves


Make a fine powder of all the ingredients under garam masala.

In a pressure cooker place mutton, ginger garlic paste, powdered garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric, salt, 1 tbsp of oil and ¼ cup of water.

Pressure cook until the mutton is cooked. Time varies depending on the quality of the mutton.

In a separate pan, heat oil, add tampering, when the mustard starts to pop, add onions and sauté till they are transparent.

Add gongura leaves and sauté for few minutes until the leaves change color and are half cooked.

Now add the pressure cooked mutton to the pan.

Simmer 12 – 15 minutes till the flavors are blended well.

Tastes wonderful with rice or roti.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani! I consider it as the king of all biryanis. Tender pieces of mutton marinated and cooked in fine blend of spices, curd and ginger garlic. Layered between rice with delicate aroma of spices mint and cilantro and steamed to perfection.

There are many versions of this recipe with little variations. I did follow the recipes earlier where you half cook rice, drain the water and then layer rice and mutton in a heavy bottomed vessel stick the lid with dough so that the steam does not escape. I always ended up with many utensils to clean and the job just seemed daunting. I made few changes where all you need is a pressure cooker and a rice cooker. A simplified version of the recipe yet tastes just as fabulous.



For Rice:
4 cups basmati rice
4 cloves
2 cardamoms
2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 tsp shajeera
1 tsp ghee
Handful of mint and coriander leaves
6 – 7 cups of water
Salt to taste

For Mutton:
2 lbs mutton
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup curd
1 tsp garam masala *
6 green chilies
2 tsp ghee
2 tbsp oil
Handful of chopped mint and cilantro
Salt to taste

Others:
2 onions sliced and fried till crisp
Saffron or food color mixed in ¼ cup of milk
Handful of chopped mint and cilantro
Juice of one lemon

*for garam masala: 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 cardamoms
Powder them in a coffee grinder.

Marinate mutton along with all the ingredients under For mutton: 2 – 3 hours in the refrigerator.

In a rice cooker add everything under For Rice: and set it on cook.

Place the mutton in a pressure cooker large enough to make the whole biryani.

Pressure cook until the mutton is tender.

Once the rice is cooked spread it to cool and discard the spices.

If the mutton in the pressure cooker has excessive water evaporate a little but make sure there is enough moisture.

Layer rice on top of mutton in 3 to 4 layers with fried onions and fresh mint and cilantro in between the layers.

Also pour a little milk with saffron on each layer.

Dot it with 2 – 3 tsp of ghee on the top.

Pressure cook on low for 20 – 25 minutes.

When ready to serve sprinkle the lemon juice and gently mix the rice and mutton.

This wholesome dish will entice your taste buds without doubt.

Mutton Fry

Growing up in Hyderabad, mutton has been a regular dish in our household. It is not as widely available here in Southern California. Especially few years ago it was available only in some halal stores, or it was just me :) who never found the right places. From the last couple of years we are seeing more of it in asian grocery stores. Though mutton dishes come out delicious, I feel it takes much longer to cook it here than in India.

Ingredients:
2 lbs mutton (goat)
2 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
4 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp oil

Spices to powder:
10 cloves
2 inches cinnamon
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds

For Seasoning:
¼ tsp mustard
¼ tsp cumin
2 red chillies
Curry leaves

For frying:
One onion coarsely blended
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Cilantro to garnish

Powder the spices and add to mutton along with chilli powder, turmeric, salt, oil and ginger garlic paste.

Pressure cook it until the mutton is tender. (You do not need to add water, but depending on your stove and your cooker if needed add ½ cup of water. Cooking time differs depending on the mutton.)

Once the mutton is tender, evaporate the rest of the water on high flame.

Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning, when mustard starts to splutter add coarsely ground onion along with turmeric, chilli powder and salt.

When the onions is more than half way cooked, add the mutton and fry till every thing looks well roasted.

Garnish with cilantro.