Mutton Biryani

A close-up of a platter with fluffy saffron rice, tender pieces of mutton, and garnished with coriander leaves and fried onions.

5 from 1 vote

With this tried-and-tested recipe, learn how to make the most flavorful restaurant-style mutton biryani. This authentic Mutton Biryani features layers of fragrant basmati rice and succulent tender mutton or lamb topped with crispy fried onions and slow-cooked to perfection in traditional dum style.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: lamb biryani, mutton biryani

Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free

Method: Stovetop

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

1.1 pound Mutton (Goat Meat) or Lamb bone-in, cut into small pieces (500 grams)

Marinade

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt thick full-fat, or hung curd
4 cloves Garlic minced
2 teaspoon Ginger freshly grated
2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder mild, or use 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Add more for spicier biryani.
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Lime or Lemon juice

Saffron

2 tablespoon Warm Milk
10-12 strands Saffron (Kesar)

Parboiled Rice

1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
6 cups Water
1 1/2 tablespoon Salt
1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
4 Cloves (Laung)
4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
1 Star anaise

Mutton Masala

2 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Ghee
1 Yellow Onion about 250 grams, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch stick Cinnamon (Dalchini)
4 Cloves (Laung)
3 pods Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1/2 cup Water

Biryani

1 tablespoon Ghee melted
1/3 cup Golden fried onions (Birista)
1/2 cup Mint leaves (Pudhina) fresh, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves (Corainder) chopped

For Serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate Mutton

In a bowl, mix all ingredients under the marinade section. Then, add the mutton pieces and mix well. Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight for up to 10 hours for best results.

Mutton Masala

Heat oil and ghee in a large heavy-bottom pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and shallow fry for 10-11 minutes till they are golden brown. (Note: You can also use a pressure cooker to make the mutton masala)
Add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds so their aroma releases.
Add the marinated mutton to the pan and mix everything well. Cook the mutton for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add water and stir it with the mutton. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and cook for 60-80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mutton is tender. (If using a pressure cooker, cook for 3-4 whistles or about 20 minutes). The cooked mutton should be tender but not falling apart. Make sure to stir at regular intervals, and if the liquid has completely dried, add a little water as needed.
While mutton is cooking, continue with the below steps for saffron and rice.

Saffron

Soak saffron strands in warm milk. Set this aside for 10 minutes.

Parboiled Rice

Add water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt, whole spices, and basmati rice (after draining the soaking water). Cook for 5 minutes, then drain the water immediately. The rice will be about 70% done at this stage. Don't overcook the rice. Check by taking a grain between your fingers; it should break easily but is still not completely done at the center.

Layer and Cook Biryani

Remove the cooked mutton from the heat. Spread half of the fried onions on top of the mutton. Spread half of the chopped mint leaves, and cilantro leaves over the mutton.
Now, layer the parboiled rice evenly on top. Using a spatula, flat the surface. Now, drizzle the melted ghee and saffron milk all over the rice. Spread the remaining fried onions, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves on top.
Cover with a tight lid and cook on the lowest flame for 20 minutes. You can also wrap a kitchen towel on the lid to get that tight-fitting lid to keep the steam inside while cooking the biryani. This process is called "dum" which is basically cooking on low heat. (See notes)
Remove from heat and let the biryani rest for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
When serving, dig deep to get all the layers with the yellow rice, white rice, and mutton in one scoop. Garnish with fried onions and cilantro leaves. Serve with raita and salad!

Video

Notes

Mutton: I recommend using bone-in mutton or lamb pieces for this biryani. Use shoulder meat which is juicier and has fat for this biryani.

Fried Onions: This is the most tedious part of the recipe. You can fry and store the onions ahead of time in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can substitute with store-bought onions or shallots if you like. Be sure to get gluten-free ones that are not mixed with other ingredients before frying.

Basmati Rice: I like to cook biryani using premium extra long-grain basmati rice. If you use other rice, the biryani will not be as fragrant.

Cooking Biryani: If you don't have a heavy-bottom pan, place a tawa or griddle below the pan with biryani. This helps to diffuse the heat and ensures the bottom layer of biryani is not overcooked or burnt. You will need to turn up the heat to medium.

Storing leftovers: You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This biryani will also freeze well.

Make it Spicier: This recipe is family-friendly and not very spicy. Increase the amount of red chili powder or add a couple of diced green chilies to the mutton masala to make it spicier.

Nutrition