Mutton Biriyani – Pressure Cooker Method

Ingredients
Mutton – 1/2 kg
Basmati rice – 2.5 cups
Onion (big) – 2 nos
Tomato (medium) – 2 no
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chillies – 6 nos
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Ghee – 3 tbsp
Mint leaves – handful
Coriander leaves /Cilantro – handful
Cinnamon – 2
Clove – 2
Cardamom – 2
Bay leaf – 1
Saffron – 1/4 tsp (optional)
lemon juice – 1 tsp
Oil
salt

Marinade ingredients and procedure
Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom – 1 each
Shallots/Pearl onions – 5 to 6 nos.
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic pods – 10
Green chilli – 1
Fried onions – 2 tbsp
cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
mint leaves
coriander leaves
turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Curd – 1 cup
salt

Hand pound ginger, garlic , cinnamon, clove, cardamom and shallots. Alternatively, You can chop these ingredients coarsely in a food processor too.

Take the mutton pieces in a wide mouthed bowl.Add fried onions, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, chopped mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies, turmeric, garam masala, curd and required amount of salt in the bowl and coat the mutton pieces evenly with the ground paste.
Let this marinade stand for 1 hour.
Cooking Method
Wash and soak Basmati rice in water. To this water add rice add Bay leaf, sprinkle of mint and cilantro leaves, green chilli, and saffron (1 no. each). Drain rice after 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the marinated mutton and cook with the lid open, until the juice from mutton oozes out. When the mixture has sufficient liquid, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water, close the lid with whistle. Take care not to add too much water. Pressure cook for up to 8 to 10 whistles so that the mutton gets almost 90% cooked .

Heat oil and 2 tablespoons of ghee in another big pressure cooker and fry cinnamon, clove and cardamom.

Add sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Then add 3 slit green chillies and chopped tomato. After 5 minutes add cooked mutton along with the gravy and bring it to a boil.Now add the drained Basmati rice.

Pour in appropriate amount of water. The basic ratio of rice: water should be 1:2. Here we have taken 2.5 cups of rice and the total amount of water required to cook it perfectly would be 5 cups. Since the mixture in the cooker already has some amount of water, it would be sufficient if we add 4 cups of water to cook the rice long and grainy without becoming soggy.

Before closing the lid, add lemon drops, remaining amount of finely chopped mint and cilantro leaves and add a tablespoon of ghee.

Close the lid and cook in medium flame for 1 whistle. Turn off the heat and place the pressure cooker on top of a tawa, on the same hot stove burner.

Let the pressure cooker depressurize by itself completely.

Open the lid and serve this yummy Biriyani with your choice of favorite accompaniments.