Mutton Handi Biriyani

Mutton Handi Biriyani part of Royal Nawabi Cuisine. Mutton Biryani is most popular dish of this cuisine. There is a way in which it has to be prepared and served to the family members or the guests, a very popular dish in India and Pakistan. Handi is a large wide mouth deep buttom vessel mainly used to cook rice. When mutton Biriyani is cooked in a handi it is called mutton handi biriyani. Mostly when it is cooked in handi marinated mutton is used directly but I don’t like that way so I cooked the mutton in my way before putting it in the handi. Good thing about handi is it help to mingle the flavors well and bring the best flavorful Biriyani. Hope you will like my way of Mutton Handi Biriyani.

Preparation time : 4 to 5 hour 
Cooking time: 2 hour 
Serves: 4

Ingredients :
½ kg boneless goat meat/mutton cut into chunks
500 grm long grain basmati rice
1 cup yogurt 
1 tsp whole garam masala powder (cinnamon, cardamom, whole black pepper, bay leaves) 
1 ½  tbsp Biriyani masala
1 tsp poppy seed powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp onion, red chilly and green chilly paste ( use the chilly according to your taste) 
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp sugar
4 green chilly whole 
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp rosewater
1 cup ghee ( clarified butter)/ or to taste
1 cup fresh green peas 
6 small potatoes parboiled 
few strand of saffron soaked in ½ cup milk
handful of dry fruits ( raisin, cashew, almond of your choice)
1tsp oil
¼  cup freshly chopped mint and coriander leaves
6 to 7 thick tomato slices
Salt to taste

Visit my Indian Spice Store for all Indian Spices Indian Spice Bazar
Methods of Cooking:

Marinate the mutton with yogurt, 1 tbsp biriyani masala, ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste, ½ tbsp onion chilly paste, turmeric powder and salt for 4 to 5 hours.
Soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. In a muslin cloth take all the whole garam masala tie them tightly. Now boil water in a pan add 1 tsp of oil, salt and the spice bag. Let it boil. Then add the basmati rice. Let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes till it 60% cooked. Now add lemon juice. Drain in a colander. Take the spice bag from the half cooked rice.
 Now take the per boiled potatoes sprinkle little Biriyani masala and little turmeric powder. Now heat little ghee and fry the potatoes. Keep aside. Now take a little amount of ghee and lightly fry the dry fruits.
 Heat ½ cup ghee now add the marinated mutton and poppy seed powder. Stir and fry the mutton in ghee. Then add warm water and pressure cook the mutton, till the meat is succulent but gravy should be dry.
Take a handi or any wide mouth deep buttom vessel.Spread little ghee on the bottom.Then spread the thick tomato slices. Above it a layer of rice and then cooked mutton layer. Then again a layer of rice and mutton layer with the fried potatoes. Then again a layer of rice and above it the fried dry fruits and green peas. Sprinkle rest of the ghee and rosewater and saffron milk over it. Now cover with a lid. Seal the edges with whole wheat flour dough or any heavy weight so that the flavors mingle within and steam within do the rest of the cooking. Put a tawa under the handi and put it in a low flame to cook in a dum for 20 to 30 minutes. Now open the lid sprinkle chopped mint and coriander leaves. Close the lid for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with onion rings lemon wedge and a delicious raita which I make in my house making a paste of mint, coriander leaves, green chilly, yogurt, lemon juice , roasted cumin powder and adding a little fresh cream.
With hot flavorful Mutton Handi Biriyani serve this chilled yummy green raita, I promise it’s divine. Enjoy Mutton Handi Biriyani.

Happy Cooking!