Non-vegetarian food in India (or Indian Cuisine) is incomplete with out Biryani. Lamb or mutton dum biryani tops the list of a biryani lover. To explore the true taste of biryani, you need to go to the roots and discover real meaning of biryani. In a true Dum Biryani rice is cooked in layers of meat, along with spices on a low heat by sealing the lid.
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What is Mutton or lamb dum biryani
Mutton Dum Biryani is a rice based dish. Rice and Lamb or meat pieces, are cooked with spices in a closed container. First marinate the meat and then semi-cook. Likewise semi-cook rice too, subsequently make multiple layers of rice and meat and leave to cook with lid closed on extremely low flame. The steam formed cooks the rice from top and heat cooks from bottom of the pan.
Like most Indian girls who grew up never entered kitchen; if I would made a cup of tea, it would had been a huge milestone with round of applauses from my dad. I would have never thought that I would be talking of a “lamb / mutton biryani recipe”. As some of you know I do not eat non-veg food, but my rest of family does, I have shared the recipe with my hubby who had executed this recipe many times now, and now finally got around to put it on the blog.
There are hundreds and thousands of families in India, where people have learnt the art of biryani making from generation to generation. They have mastered in making finger licking biryanis which will melt in mouth. Slow cooked meat, infused with spices & rice ensuring the juices are soaked in by the rice grains, gives amazing taste.
Biryani can be from Awadh, Hyderabad, or Delhi, and based on its location, there would be somewhat variations. I have seen biryani served in normal Indian takeaways or restaurants in UK, and I won’t call it biryani, its just pieces of chicken/ lamb/ prawn tossed in rice and some curry added on top.
What is Dum
Dum is a process of cooking in which food is cooked in steam formed by sealing the pan with air tight lid.
It is believed that dum Biryanis were originally made in the kitchens of Mughal Emperors. Hence, its mainly considered as a part of Andhra region of India (Hyderabad cuisine). Hyderabad biryanis are most famous in the world.
Method to make lamb or mutton dum biryani
Lamb dum biryani consists of five steps.
- Marinating the lamb / meat. Marinate over night for good lamb biryani. I will say at the minimum marinade for 2-3 hours.
- Cooking the Lamb. Cook lamb to 80-85 %.
- Semi-cooking rice. Cook rice to 60-70%
- Layering. Adding the rice and chicken in layers of rice, lamb, rice, lamb, and rice.
- Dum. For dum biryani, the pan needs to be sealed with lid. You can use wheat dough to seal the lid. Then, let the lamb and rice cook in steam on low heat.
This lamb biryani is
- Extremely delicious in taste, almost heaven for a lamb lover.
- Perfect to add to the menu on lavish meal, or Iftar during ramadan.
- Extremely filling, which means you can keep your menu restricted to this biryani and raita.
- You can make this biryani a day in advance, and it will taste even better.
Serving suggestion
Serve this lamb or mutton dum biryani with raita, or gravy based curry.
For a best biryani, I will recommend that you seal the pot and open only before serving. Let the “dum” add to the flavour of rice and meat.
Below is the step by step detailed recipe of hyderabad style lamb (mutton) dum biryani.
Recipe Card
Lamb Biryani | Mutton Dum Biryani
Ingredients
Marination Ingredients
- 1.5 Kg Mutton Pieces
- 2 Onions Medium Size
- 2 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 4 Tablespoon Yogurt
- 3 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
- 2 Tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves Chopped
- 1.5 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Biryani Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 6 Tablespoon Oil
- 1.5 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Other Ingredients
- 1 Kg Basmati Rice
- 2 Cinnamon sticks Small
- 3-4 Green Cardamom
- 3 Black Cardamom
- 6-8 Whole black peppercorn
- 4-5 Cloves
- 4 Tablespoon Oil
- 1.5 Teaspoon Salt
- 4-5 Green chillies Slit lengthwise
- 2 Onion Medium Size, cut lengthwise
- 4 Tomatoes Medium size, chopped
- 1/2 Cup Fried Onion
- 3 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
- 2 Tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves Chopped
- 4-5 Strands Saffron
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 2 Teaspoon Kewda Water
- 2 Tablespoon Ghee / Clarified Butter
Instructions
- First of all, wash properly the mutton pieces and drain the water completely. In a mixing bowl, add mutton pieces, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix it well and keep aside.
- Cut the onion lengthwise and deep fry them in the oil. Now add rest all the ingredients under marination category and mix everything well. Crush the fried onions and add them too. Add the leftover oil from frying too in the marination.
- Mix everything well and cover the bowl with cling film and keep it in fridge for at-least 5-6 hours.
- Wash and Soak rice in enough water and similarly soak saffron strands in Luke warm milk.
- Now, heat a heavy bottom pan/ handi in which you planning to make Biryani, on medium flame. Add 2 tablespoon oil and once it’s warm add onions and sauté. Add tomatoes and green chillies and sauté again till it start leaving oil.
- Now transfer the marinated mutton and add 3 cups of water to it. Cover the pan with lid and let it cook till mutton is tender. It will take around 25-30 minutes.
- In a separate pan, boil 4-5 cups of water. Add all the whole spices, salt and 2 tablespoon oil to it. Once it starts boiling, add soaked rice and let them cook till they are 80 percent done. Drain the excess water and keep them aside.
- Once the mutton is tender, open the lid and let it cook for 10 more minutes so that extra water evaporates and you will see a thin oil layer on the top. Make sure it still has got little gravy, it should not be completely dry.
- Now with the help of a ladle, collect the extra gravy in a bowl. Spread rice over cooked mutton evenly. Spread the gravy on the rice layer. Spread Chopped Coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Spread Saffron flavoured milk and Kewra water and close the lid of the pan.
- Now keep the pan on medium high heat for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to lowest. Let it cook for around 35-40 minutes and then switch off the heat.
- Open the pan and spread clarified butter on it and mix the biryani. Serve it hot with raita.
Notes
- You can adjust the spice level according to your taste.
- Marinate the mutton at least for 5-6 hours. Cooking time varies on the quality of meat used. So always check for properly cooked mutton before switching off heat.
- Always use Basmati Rice for making biryani as it tastes best only when basmati rice is used.
Nutrition
If you are a biryani lover (well who is not a biryani lover ? 🙂 ), you may like to try this Chicken Dum Biryani or Kathal / Jackfruit biryani (Vegetarian option) recipe of mine, which has been appreciated widely.
You can find other mouthwatering lamb recipes, like Lamb Chops, Aachari Gosht, Handi Gosht as well on this blog. All these have been tried and tested.