Hyderbadi Mutton Biryani

Total Time: 1 hours
Preparation Time: 30 minutes (excludes marination time)
Baking Time: 30 minutesServes: 4-5

Marinade

• 2 lbs Goat meat cut into pieces
• ¾ – 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 14 small Chilies split into two (adjust to your taste)
• 1 cup chopped Mint Leaves
• 1 cup chopped Cilantro
• Salt to Taste (sufficient for the meat)
• Garam Masala Powder
• 10 Pepper Corns
• 10 Coves
• ½ tsp Cardamom Seeds
• ½ tsp Sahajeera or Black Cumin
• 1” Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Large Onion sliced
• 1 Lime
• 1 cup Oil (can use half oil and half ghee)
• ½ tsp of saffron strands
• ½ cup milk
• 4 cups Basmati Rice soaked for 30 minutes (rice cooker measuring cup)
• Spices for boiling rice
• 6 Cardamoms
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Bay Flower or Biryani Flower
• 1 tsp Sahajeera
• ½ tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tbsp of Oil
• First Full of Salt

Method:

1. Clean and cut the goat meat.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed under garam masala to a fine powder.
3. Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and marinate for at least 2 hour , preferably overnight in the fridge.
4. Cook the meat with ½ the oil in a pressure cooker. Don’t add any water when cooking. In my cooker it takes 6-7 whistles and 5 minutes on low flame to cook. Once the pressure in the cooker goes away, open it and cook it until all the water evaporates. OR
5. Can cook the meat on the stove top until tender. This will take about an hour. I prefer the pressure cooker to avoid all the cooking odor when cooking on stove top.
6. Squeeze the lime juice on the meat and mix well.
7. In a pan, heat oil and fry the onions until light golden brown.
8. Soak saffron in hot milk.
9. In a big pot bring water to a boil, add all the spices required for boiling rice and mix well.
10. Add rice and continue to cook until the rice is almost done. It takes about 7-8 minutes on my stove. Drain the rice and keep aside.
11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Now its time to arrange rice and meat in layers. Grease large baking tray with oil, layer half the rice at the bottom. Sprinkle some oil, fried onions and ½ the saffron milk. Layer the rice with meat followed by a layer of remaining rice. We should have 2 layers of rice and one layer of meat. Top it off the remaining oil, fried onions and saffron milk. Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
13. Bake the biryani for 10 minutes on 400 degrees F and 20 minutes on 350 degrees F.
14. Mix the rice. 

Serve it hot with raita. 

Dal Tadka

• Moong Dal or Masoor Dal - 1.5 cups
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Green chillies - 3 or 4
• 1/2 tspn Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• Coriander chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Lime juice - 1 - 2 tsps
• Water 2 glasses
• Garam Masala 1 tablespoon
• 2 diced tomatoes
• 1 medium sized onion finely diced
• For Tadka
• Jeera seeds (Cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsps
• Hing - a pinch

Instructions:

Tadka is a generic term which refers to adding the spices to the hot oil or Ghee and then adding this tadka into your dish.
1. Add the Dal with 2 Glasses of water and add the turmeric in it and then cook it in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes or so ( excessive cooking will make the dash like a paste)If you do not have a pressure cooker then just take a sauce pan and cover it while cooking for 10 minutes on medium heat ( until the dal is cooked)
2. Take a non stick pan add add the Ghee.
3. Add the Cumin seeds and the mustard seeds.
4. Once they start crackling add the Ginger and Garlic paste and fry.
5. Add the onion and fry unti it become brown.Add the green chillies.
6. Add the Garam Masala and cook for a minute.
7. Add the diced tomatoes and let them cook untli the oil seperates.
8. Add the cooked dal and add salt to taste.
9. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes on slow heat.Take a small fry pan add 2 tablespoons of Ghee and add some red chilli powder and fry for a minute.Pour this on top of the Dal .
Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve it with Naan, Rice or Roti

Methi Malai Paneer

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 25 minutes
Category: Main dishes

• 200 gms paneer cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup shelled peas boiled
• 1/2 stick dalchini ( cinnamon)
• 2 pieces moti ilaichi (cardamom)
• 3-4 pieces laung (cloves)
• 1 tbsp cashewnuts
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion grated
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 cup / 75 gms malai (cream)
• 4 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek)
• salt to taste
• a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Crush together dalchini, laung and seeds of moti ilaichi on a chakla - belan. Keep the masala aside
2. Grind cashewnuts separately on the chakla - belan.
3. Heat oil. Add grated onion and cook on low heat till oil separates and the onions turn transparent.
4. Add the crushed masala and pepper powder. Cook for a few seconds.
5. Add kasoori methi and malai, cook on low heat for 2 - 3 minutes till malai dries up.
6. Add boiled peas and paneer.
7. Add cashewnuts and cook for a few seconds.
8. Add enough milk to get a thick gravy.
9. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Shahi Paneer

Serves: 6

• 250 gm: Paneer (cottage cheese)
• 1/4 cup: Beaten curd
• 1/2 cup: Milk
• 1 1/2 cup: Tomatoes (chopped fine)
• 1/2 cup: Onion (chopped into strips)
• 1/2" piece: Ginger chopped fine
• 2-3: Green chillies chopped fine
• 2-3: Cardamoms (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp: Garam masala
• 1/2 tsp: Red chilli powder
• 2 tsp: Tomato Sauce
• 3 tsp: Ghee or butter
• Salt to taste
• For Garnish
• 2 tsp: Grated paneer
• 1 tsp: Chopped coriander

Method
1.Chop paneer into 2" fingers.
2.Heat half the ghee. Add onion, ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered. Add curd and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
3.Blend in a mixer till smooth.
4.Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer. Boil to get a very thick gravy.
5.Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
6.Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.