Mutton / Lamb 'Dum' Biryani

REQUEST:

For all those new comers, friends and readers of my blog...I have been having some trouble with the Followers and Follow button (TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER). If you can see it please click on it and become a follower. I would really appreciate it!!! And subscribe to the RSS feed with the button on the top and please do leave a comment...I really love and enjoy reading comments, its very encouraging to me!!....THANX a lot!!!!




It's all about "DUM" in our house. All other biryani have become just a plain biryani. Only DUM biryani keep their status!! We have been making vegetable dum to chicken dum to shrimp dum and now Lamb dum.
Since we don't get much of mutton / goat meat, we do, but who is going to make time to go over all the way to where they sell it...easier is finding lamb, which we get good quality in our regular grocery store. So made this with Lamb instead of mutton, but it would be the same procedure if done with mutton too.
DUM biryani they say is the food of the Nawabs. All the delicious biryanis where dished out for the kings and their people of the court! Served along side with Mirchi ka Salan was a delicious combo for sure!.
Dum Biryani or Kachi biryani is started off by using raw meat, thats why "kachi" is cooked along with rice and spices in a big handi covered with dough to keep in the heat and vapor to cook the meat and the rice. This is also a type of Hyderabadi Biryani.
The ingredients are actually quiet simple, only preparation takes some time. Adding few cashew nuts, raisins or even dried pomegranate seeds will add a beautiful touch to it!
Takes about an hour from start to finish. Adjust spice accordingly.
Use a good pot with a tight lid.

Ingredients:

2 pounds lamb, chopped into 1 in pieces, Leave the bones as big if you like them
3 cup basmati rice

For lamb marinade:

1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

For the rice:

6-7 cloves
2 big pieces of cinamon sticks
5-6 cardamom pods, elaichi
2 anise stars
4-5 black pepper corns
1 tsp javtri or mace
2 black cardamom pods
4-5 bay leaves

For initiation of the biryani:

2-3 tbsp oil
3 cloves
1 in piece of cinamon stick
3 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 anise star
2 bay leaves
5-6 green chillies

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
chopped mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Garnish:

Fried onions
Chopped coriander leaves
Roasted cashew nuts, raisins, roasted pomegranate seeds

few strands of Saffron soaked in about 1/4 cup milk, you can substitute it with yellow food color.


Method:

Prepare the marinade for the lamb, taste for salt, cos you wont be able to taste it later! Add the lamb and let it marinate for atleast 1/2 hour.
Put the rice to soak.

Wash rice and let it soak for atleast 1/2 hour.

Chop your onions and fry them for fried onions. Roast your nuts too in the meanwhile.

Put all the ingredients for the rice into the water along with salt and let it come to a rolling boil.
Add the rice to the water and let it come to a boil to getting the rice gets 80% cooked.

Just before the rice comes to a boil, heat the pan you are going to cook the biryani in.

Heat oil and add the dry whole masala and when they roast, add the lamb. Cook lamb for couple of min.

By now the rice should have come to the 80% cooked stage, drain all the water and add the rice on top of the lamb. Add the fried onions, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Even add the saffron in milk or yellow food color on the top.

Cover tight with the lid. Use kitchen towel to trap the vapor if needed.

Let cook on high to mid-high heat for about 10 min. Next drop down the heat to medium heat for about 20 mins. By now the rice should be cooked. Drop down the Heat to low for another 20 min.

Always remove into a big large bowl to mix. Add the garnish.

Serve Hot with raita or mirchi ka salan like I did!
Enjoy!!!