Awadhi Mutton Biryani

For the Garam masala:

1. Roast the ingredients to make garam masala until they are fragrant and then grind to make smooth powder.

For the Mutton:

1. Mix mutton with ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and curd. Leave the marinate for 8-10 hours.

2. Heat vegetable oil and ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add onions and fry until browned.

3. Add green chilli and mutton along with the marinade and cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add 1 cup of water and cover the pan and cook the mutton for 30-35 minutes.

5. Open the lid and let the liquid reduce a bit.

6. We don’t want a dry mutton gravy but slightly liquid so that the gravy gets mixed with the rice.

7. Add lemon juice and kewda essence and mix well.

For the Rice:

1. While the mutton is cooking, cook the rice.

2. Heat 6-8 cups of water in a pot.

3. Add ghee, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and salt, bring it to a boil.

4. Add the rice and cook until rice is 80% cooked.

5. Once the rice is 80% cooked, take out the spices and then strain the rice.

6. Reserve 1/2 cup of water.

For assembly:

1. Top the mutton curry with half of the rice and mix gently.

2. Top with the remaining rice.

3. Sprinkle saffron soaked in water on top.

4. Top with golden brown onion.

5. Drizzle ghee on top.

6. Close the lid and seal it tightly using dough.

7. Keep the pan over low heat and cook for 20-25 minutes.

8. Remove the lid and mix the biryani gently.

9. Serve hot.