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Mutton Biriyani
This fragrant, colourful rice is almost a meal in itself.
 
Ingredients
For rice:
1. 1 ¼ kg Basmati or Suduru Samba rice
2. 10" pandan leaf
3. 5" cinnamon stick
4. 2 tsp salt
5. 225 g cashew
6. 100 g ghee
7. 350 g big onions, sliced
8. 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
9. 4 - 5 strands of saffron
10. 5 - 6 drops of rose essence
11. 5 - 6 hard-boiled eggs
12. ½ cup milk
   
   
   
   
   
*For spice powder:
1. 20 cardamoms
2. 10 cloves
3. 5" cinnamon
4. ½ nutmeg
For mutton curry:
1. 1 kg mutton with bones, cubed roughly 2"x2"
2. 500 g tomatoes chopped
3. 500 g curd
4. 2 tsp salt
5. Red, yellow and green food colouring
6. 100 g ghee
7. 100 g big onions, sliced
8. 1 ½" ginger root, chopped
9. 10 pods of garlic
10. 30 mint leaves
11. 16 green chili
12. ½ tsp turmeric powder
13. ½ cup coconut, grated and roasted golden brown
14. 1 - 2 tsp chili powder
15. 2 tsp spice powder*
16. 2 tbsp coriander leaves
Serves 12 - 14
 
Spice Powder:
  1. Heat a dry pan and add all the ingredients.
  2. Swirl the spices until warm and fragrant.
  3. Grind into a fine powder.
 
Mutton curry:
  1. In a clean bowl mix mutton cubes, tomatoes, curd and salt. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours.
  2. Grind ginger, garlic, mint and green chili into a fine paste.
  3. Heat ghee in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan and fry the onions till golden.
  4. Add the ground paste, roasted coconut, turmeric and chili powder. Fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
  5. Add the marinated mutton and cook until the mutton is ¾ done.
  6. Remove from fire.
  7. Sprinkle with spice powder and the coriander leaves.
 
Rice:
  1. Wash the rice and put it into a large saucepan. Add the pandan leaf and the cinnamon stick.
  2. Add hot water to the rice. The water level must be 1" above the level of the rice. Bring to boil. When the rice is ¾ cooked, drain away the excess water.
  3. Spread rice on a large, flat tray or plate and leave to cool.
  4. Sprinkle with salt.
  5. Sprinkle a few drops of coloring onto the rice. Using gloved fingers, mix the rice until there are red, yellow and green rice grains among the white rice grains.
  6. Heat the ghee and fry the cashews. As soon as the cashews start turning golden, remove from fire and leave on top of a kitchen paper-towel to drain excess oil.
  7. In the remaining fat, fry the onions until golden brown and set aside on a kitchen paper-towel.
 
Assembling the Biriyani:
  1. Pour the mutton curry into a large, oven-proof glass bowl or container.
  2. Sprinkle half the fried cashews and quarter of the fried onions over the mutton curry.
  3. Spread half the rice on top of the mutton curry.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining fried cashews, onions and the coriander leaves.
  5. Spread the remaining rice on top. Pour the milk on top of the rice.
  6. Heat a pan and lightly warm the saffron strands. Crush the strands with gloved fingers. Add ½ cup warm water to it. Mix rose essence with ¼ cup water.
  7. Sprinkle the saffron mixture and the rose essence water over the rice.
  8. Nicely arrange the hard-boiled eggs on top.
  9. Make a stiff dough with flour and water. Roll into a thick slab.
  10. Cover the rice dish with this slab, ensuring no steam escapes.
  11. Place the iron griddle under the rice dish, so that it does not get too hot. Cook over high heat for 5 - 7 minutes, reduce heat and cook over low heat 40 - 60 minutes. Serve hot.