Lahori Mutton Biryani
Lahori-style mutton biryani: bone-in mutton cooked in a slow-simmered masala, layered with parboiled saffron rice and finished under dum until the rice picks up the spice perfume. Heavier and meatier than Hyderabadi; distinct in its use of plums and kewra.
Overview
Mutton is marinated overnight in yogurt with browned onion, ginger-garlic, Kashmiri chilli, garam masala and dried plums (aloo bukhara, a Lahori signature). The marinated meat is slow-cooked in its marinade until tender and the masala has reduced to a thick, oil-slicked gravy. Basmati is parboiled in salted water with a sachet of whole spices. The biryani is built in layers: meat, rice, fried onion, saffron milk, mint, repeated; sealed under a tight lid for the dum.
Ingredients
Mutton marinade
- 1 kg mutton (or lamb shoulder, on the bone, cut into 8 cm chunks)
- 250 g natural yogurt (thick)
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 dried aloo bukhara (sour plums; soaked 30 min)
- 1 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi
- 2 teaspoons salt
Cooking
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 2 onions (thinly sliced and fried until deep gold; reserve the cooking ghee)
- 4 green chillies (slit)
- 2 ripe tomatoes (chopped)
Rice
- 600 g aged basmati rice (rinsed)
- 3 litres water
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (small)
- 6 cloves
- 6 green cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Layering
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 3 tablespoons warm milk
- 2 tablespoons kewra water (or rose water; both are Lahori traditional)
- A handful of fresh mint leaves (chopped)
- A handful of fresh coriander (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons melted ghee
Method
Stage 1 - Marinate
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, all the ground spices, the soaked aloo bukhara (pitted), kasuri methi and salt.
- Add the mutton and toss to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Stage 2 - Brown the onion and cook the meat
- Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt; fry for 12-15 minutes until deep golden.
- Lift about a third of the onion out with a slotted spoon and reserve.
- Add the marinated mutton (with all the marinade) to the remaining onion.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring, until the meat is browned and the marinade has tightened to a thick paste.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies; cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in 400 ml of hot water; bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes over low heat, until the mutton is fork-tender and the gravy has reduced to a thick masala (very little liquid should remain).
Stage 3 - Parboil the rice
- Bring 3 litres of water to a hard boil with the 2 tablespoons of salt, the bay leaves and all the whole spices.
- Add the rinsed rice.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the grains are 70% cooked (firm at the centre, soft outside).
- Drain immediately in a colander.
Stage 4 - Bloom the saffron
- Crumble the saffron into the warm milk; rest for 10 minutes.
Stage 5 - Layer
- Spread half the parboiled rice over the cooked mutton.
- Scatter half the fried onion, half the mint and coriander.
- Drizzle half the saffron milk and half the kewra water over.
- Add the second layer of rice; top with the remaining fried onion, mint, coriander, saffron milk and kewra.
- Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of melted ghee over the top.
Stage 6 - Dum
- Cover the pot tightly with a sheet of foil pressed onto the rice.
- Press the lid down on top.
- Place over high heat for 3 minutes.
- Reduce to the lowest heat (use a heat diffuser) and cook for 35 minutes.
- Pull from the heat and rest, sealed, for 15 more minutes.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Lift the lid and gently fold the layers from the bottom up so the mutton comes through the rice.
- Serve with raita and a fresh tomato-onion salad.
Notes
- Aloo bukhara is the Lahori touch: Sour dried plums in the marinade. They dissolve into the masala and give the biryani its distinct sweet-sour Lahori flavour. Prunes are a workable substitute.
- Kewra and saffron: Kewra water (pandan flower extract) is the perfume that distinguishes Lahori biryani from Indian counterparts. Find it in any South Asian grocer.
- Don't over-parboil: 70% is the target. Overcooked at the parboil stage means mush after the dum.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat covered with a splash of water.
- Freezes well in portions for 2 months.
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