Hyderabadi Kacchi Gosht Biryani

Hyderabadi Kacchi Gosht Biryani -

This recipe comes from the Hyderabad Nizams kitchen. One of my aunty (Bacchu Maashi) used to prepare this Biriyani which she learned while her stay in South-India. It's dedicated to her.

Ingredients:

For Marinating:
1kg mutton cut into medium pieces on bone
2 large onions thinly sliced
1tbsp. salt
1/2tsp. sugar
1tbsp. ginger paste
1tbsp. garlic paste
1tbsp. green chili paste
1tbsp. garam masala ( You can use Biryani masala of your favorite brand)
1tsp. red chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
250gms curd (Yogurt)
1 bunch coriander leaves finely chopped
1 bunch mint leaves finely chopped

For Rice:
500gms. basmati rice
2 – 3tbsp. salt
50gms. ghee (Clarified butter)
1tsp. saffron soaked in quarter cup of warm milk


Required Appliance:
Heavy bottom pan (I use Martha Stewart or Simply Calphalon vessels)
Tawa or skillet

Procedure:

Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the onion slices till they are brown. Remove and drain them on a paper towel.
Arrange mutton in layers in a heavy bottom pan. Add Half of the fried onion, ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste, chili powder, garam masala powder, salt, sugar, yoghurt, oil, lemon juice, chopped coriander and mint leaves to it. Mix everything well with mutton  and keep it marinated for 3-4 hours.
By the meantime in a pan take water along with 2- 3  tbsp. salt and bring to a rolling boil. Stir it well and add presoaked basmati rice to it. Once you have added the rice it will stop boiling. Wait till it again starts boiling. This rice is 50% done. Make an layer of rice on top of the marinated mutton. Add about a cup of water ( Preferably the water in which you boiled the rice).
Sprinkle some more fried brown onions on top of it. Drizzle few spoons of saffron soaked milk over it.
Now seal the vessel tightly with aluminum foil.
We will not be cooking this directly on heat because if we do so the meat will char by the time the biriyani is cooked. So take a tawa (skillet) and place the biryani vessel on top of it. Cook it on medium heat for about 45 minutes. By the end of this time you will see the aluminum foil has swollen up. That means it is ready. Remove the foil an serve it with raita.