Producer: Priyanka Das Editor: Mohit Bisht

Delicious Kolkata-Style Mutton Biryani Recipe

Basmati rice - 3cups soaked in enough water for 30 minutes and drained well Green cardamom - 6 Cloves - 5 Cinnamon stick - 1 inch Kala jeera - 1/2 tsp 2 1⁄2 tbsp ghee Water as required Salt to taste Mutton - 1 kg, cut into medium pieces Yoghurt - 1 cup Ginger garlic paste - 3 tbsp Chilli powder - 2-3 tsp Oil - 2tbsp Onion -1/2-2 cup thinly sliced Garam masala powder - about 1-1/5 tbsp Aloo bukhara - 5 Hot water - 1/3 cup Potato - 5 small, peeled, cut into chunks if large Orange/yellow food colour - 1 pinch

Ingredients

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Garam masala powder - a few pinches Ghee -1-2 tbsp Saffron - 1 pinch soaked in 3 tbsp hot water (add kewra water and meetha athar to this saffron water) Kewra water - 2 tbsp Meetha athar - 4 drops Grated mawa -2-3 tbsp

Ingredients for layering

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Marinate mutton pieces with yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and salt. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Boil water in a vessel. Add salt,1 pinch of food colour, and whole gram masala. Add peeled whole potatoes and boil for 3-4 minutes or till 50% done. Drain water completely. Set aside for 2 minutes till dry.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee and 2 tbsp mustard oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and fry lightly on all sides. Remove to a plate.

In the remaining oil, add whole spices-4 green cardamom,1/2 cinnamon stick and 5 cloves. Stir till fragrant.

Add thinly sliced onion and little salt. Cook until golden brown. Add marinated mutton and cook for 6-8 minutes. Add garam masala powder and aloo bukhara. Mix well and cook for a minute.

Add 1/3 cup hot water and mix well. Transfer this to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles over medium-low heat, till the mutton is completely cooked and soft. Open the lid after 15 minutes. Add fried potatoes and mix well.

Meanwhile boil water in a large vessel adding whole spices, ghee and salt (remaining ingredients). Add soaked and drained rice and cook until the rice gets 75% done. Switch off and drain onto a colander.

Smear ghee in a heavy-bottomed oven-safe vessel. Add cooked mutton and spread on the bottom. Sprinkled 2 tbsp grated mawa on the meat. Top it with cooked rice followed by ghee, a pinch of garam masala powder, saffron-kewra water-meetha athar mix, grated mawa and a few drops of colour, if using. Cover tightly with an aluminium foil followed by a lid. Place a heavy weight on top of the lid.

Heat the biryani for 15 minutes. Take it out and set aside it for 15 minutes.

Or cook on dum. Heat the large tawa over high heat. Once hot, bring down to medium flame. Place the biryani pot and cook for 4 minutes on medium heat. Now bring down the heat to the lowest flame and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame.

Let it rest unopened for another 10-15 minutes in the biryani pot. Serve hot with boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.