Kolkata Mutton Biryani, an emotion

We were craving for Biryani , to be precise for Kolkata Mutton Biryani like anything. So thought, why not give it a try at home ourselves after quite some time.

We can have Mutton Biryani at any point in time and we are quite proud of this😂😂. Well, by Mutton Biryani, I am specifically referring to the typical Kolkata Mutton Biryani where the “Aloo” is as important as meat pieces. And to be honest, every time we tried Kolkata Biryani here, we were utterly disappointed.

To me, Kolkata Biryani is an emotion and more of a bliss than simply a delicious food. It is the epitome of comfort food and nostalgia.

I tried to do justice to my Kolkata Mutton Biryani and it turned out extremely well.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1.Mutton chunks (I used good quality goat meat)

2. Long grain Basmati Rice (i used extra long grain Tilda Basmati Rice for Biryani)

3. Boiled Eggs

4. Large Potatoes

5. Onion-2 large

6. Yellow Food colour

7. Oil

8. Ghee

9. Red Chilli Powder

10. Coriander-cumin Powder

11. Salt to taste

12. Keora water

13. Keshar

14. Milk

15.Mitha Atar

16. Ginger-garlic paste

17. Tomato

18. Khowa (I haven’t used it)

19. Shahi Cumin Seeds

20. Green Chillis

Detailed Steps:

To make Biryani Masala:

Cinammon-2”

Black Cardamom-2

Green Cardamom-5

Clove-5

Bay leaf-2

Nutmeg-little

Mace Petals-2

Shahi Cumin seeds

Star Anise-1

Pepper

To cook Mutton:

1 Onion paste

Ginger-garlic paste

Tomato-1

Yoghurt-2 spoons

Dry chillis-2

Bay leaves-2

Ghee

Oil

Clove-2

Cinnamon Stick-1”

Black Cardamom-1

Green Cardamom-2

Salt to taste

To make Akhni water for rice

Cinnamon stick-4”

Black Cardamom—2

Green Cardamom-4

ClIves-4

Bay leaf-2

Others:

Wheat flour dough or kitchen foil

Instructions:

Making of Biryani Masala:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients given under Biryani masala.

2. Once cooled, make a powder of the spices

3. About 2 tbs of this powder will be used in the Biryani , rest can be stored in an airtight container for future use.

Marinating the Mutton

1. Marinate mutton with meat tenderiser/papaya glue and salt (I used tenderiser)

2. Add ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, green chilli paste, yoghurt .

3. Add 1 tbs of Biryani Masala with this and marinate the mutton for a few hours- preferably for 2-4 hrs.

4. Next marinate the potato halves with turmeric and salt and fry till golden brown and keep aside. Add 1/2 tbs of biryani Masala in the oil as well.

5. Use the same oil for cooking mutton.

Cooking Mutton

1. Heat spiced oil used to fry potatoes and ghee in the pressure cooker.

2. Temper it with dry chillis and bay leaves.

3. Fry onions till golden brown.

4. Add tomatoes.

5. Add marinated mutton along with the marination and cook for sometime.

5. Add cumin-coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric, salt to taste.

6. Pressure cook till 8-10 whistles till the mutton is done 80%. 7. I have added little bit of water, otherwise it might stick at the bottom of the cooker.

8. Once, the mutton is done, keep it aside.

To make Akhni water and cooking of the rice:

1. Take few litres of water in a vessel.

2. Take the ingredients given under Akhni masala and make a ‘Potli’ using a fresh cloth and the spices.

4. Boil the spice potli along with the spices for about 20-30 mins.

5. The water will change colour to become light brown.

6. Meanwhile wash rice and keep rice soaked in warm water for the time water is boiling.

7. Add 1-2 tbs of salt and add the soaked rice to the boiling water.

8. Cook till the rice is done 2/3rd.

Right cooking of the rice is very important.

9. Strain the rice and spread the cooked rice on a plate.

1. Next, mix keshar and a pinch of yellow food colour and soak in milk and keep aside.

2. Take ghee and coat the inner side of the handi/ vessel with the ghee.

3. Take bay leaves and place those in the vessel.

4. Pour cooked mutton with the gravy.

5. Top it with 1/3 of the cooled rice.

6. Sprinkle 1/3 of Biryani masala followed by 1/3 of the keshar milk and a drop of mitha atar and some ghee.

7. Add 1/3 rice again followed by fried potatoes and boiled eggs.

8. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Biryani masala followed by 1/3 of the keshar milk and a drop of mitha atar and some ghee again.

9. Add Keora water as well.

10. Add rest of the rice followed by khowa even though I haven’t used khowa.

11.Sprinkle 1/3 of the Biryani masala followed by 1/3 of the keshar milk and a drop of mitha atar and the remaining ghee.

12. Cover the handi with the lid and seal it with flour dough/ aluminium foil. 13. Place the handi /vessel on fire and cook on low flame for 15 mins.

14. Switch the flame off and keep the handi without opening the seal for 15mins more.

15. After 15 mins, open the seal and using a spatula, lightly mix the Biryani while serving but not before that.

Enjoy heavenly Kolkata Mutton Biryani with raita. We absolutely love the chunk of Aloo as a part of our plate of Kolkata Biryani. Don‘t we?😂😋

#kolkatamuttonbiryani#nostalgia#foodblogger