Chettinad Mutton Biriyani 4.6/5 (5)

This South Indian Biriyani is my all time favourite. Cherished and relished by all my guests. It’s one of my treasured recipe, with many added nuances and developed into a fool-proof recipe. This replicates the restaurant style biriyani available in all South Indian restaurants.

The word Biriyani mesmerizes me, 🤩🤩🤩everytime I hear it. Is it only for me, or you experience the same too…😜😜 If you are a true Biriyani lover, you have come to the right destination.

This Biriyani unlike North Indian Biriyani, rice and meat are cooked along with a specially ground masala, which lets the masala seep through to each grain of rice and the meat imbibes its flavour into it. Slow cooking method of dum enhances the aroma and delicacy of the dish. Also another disparity between North and South Biriyani is the rice variety. When it comes to North, Biriyani and Basmati rice become inseparable. But in South, especially in Tamil Nadu, Biriyani and Seeragasamba rice become inseparable. Here in Dubai, prevalently available rice variety is Jeerakasala / Seeragasala.

For newbies, Seeragasala rice is cultivated in Kerala while Seeragasamba rice is grown in the delta regions of Tamil Nadu. Basically, both are small grain varieties with a unique flavour.

The rice derive its name from Jeera (called Seeragam in Tamil), as it’s small and ovular shape shares an uncanny resemblance to jeera and Samba refers to the season from August to January, when this rice is grown. Thus, seeragam + samba gives it its name.

I highly recommend to go for Seeragasamba or Seeragasala rice if it’s available in your locality. If not, you can still manage with Basmati rice. But each rice has its unique aroma, you cannot absolutely relish the authentic taste of this South Indian Biriyani cooked with Basmati rice.

This Biriyani goes well with onion raita, chalna or brinjal gravy which I’ll share in my future post, it’s a must try combination for Biriyani.

Click here to jump to recipe card!

Clean the Mutton with turmeric powder and drain the water completely, then squeeze 1 tsp of lemon juice.

In a bowl add curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, slit green chilli, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Whisk it to an even mixture.

And add the mutton pieces and combine them well. Let it marinate for minimum 2 hrs or overnight for best results.

For the masala preparation, heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp of ghee,

Add all the spices (Fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, stone flower, mace threads) mentioned under masala.

then add the cashews and Poppy seeds (khas khas) till it gets roasted.

Now add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes. Then add shallots with ¼ tsp salt and sauté till it turns golden brown (3-4 minutes),

Then add coriander and mint leaves, give a stir and add Kashmiri red chilli powder, dhaniya powder and immediately switch off the flame to avoid these powders getting burnt.

Let it cool and grind it into a smooth paste. Yields roughly 1 and a half cup of paste. Reserve ¾ cup of the ground masala for mutton, utilize remaining ¾ cup masala during biriyani rice preparation.

Heat the pressure cooker with 1 tbsp oil and add the reserved ¾ ground masala to it, sauté for few minutes,

Then add the marinated mutton and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add around 4 cups of water or till it gets immersed and add enough salt.

Close the lid and once steam comes, put the whistle. Give roughly around 12- 13 whistles.

Meanwhile wash the Seeragasala rice twice and soak it with water (till it get immersed) for maximum 30 minutes.

Also finely slice the onions and tomatoes and keep them aside with mint leaves and ¾ cup remaining masala kept for biriyani rice preparation.

Take ½ cup of grated coconut and grind it in a jar with water to extract a cup of milk (mixture of 1st thick and second thin milk). You can also use store bought coconut milk powder. To make one cup of milk stir 3 tbsp of powder with a cup of water.

Once steam is released, open the lid and carefully remove the mutton pieces with a slotted ladle and measure the masala water left in the pan. For 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water (I added 5 cups of water + 1 cup of coconut milk) in the ratio of 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, if the rice is aged. You can add 1 and ¾ cups of water to 1 cup of rice, if it is new rice. Measured Masala water 5 cups + 1 cup of coconut milk which sums up 6 cups of required liquid. If the measured masala water doesn’t round up to 5 cups, adjust add warm water to make up 5 cups. If it is more than 5 cups, refer notes and kitchen secret.

Rinse and clean the same pressure cooker and heat ½ cup Oil, add the bay leaf,

Then add sliced onion with salt and sauté till it turns golden brown. It’ll take 20 minutes, but worth doing to get the best flavour.

Then add chopped tomatoes, sauté for 3 minutes, then add the remaining ground masala (¾ cup), stir well and cook for 3 – 4 minutes till the oil separates from the masala.

Now add the measured masala water and let it boil.

Then add drained rice,

Add strained mutton,

1 cup of coconut milk and mix well, at this stage check the spice and salt and add if needed.

Close the lid and allow it to steam cook for 7 – 8 minutes on high flame.

After 7 – 8 minutes, lower the flame and carefully open the lid, you can see some water on the top.

Gently stir the rice from top to bottom, without breaking the rice and meat. At this stage the rice is almost 60% cooked.

Now add 2 tbsp of ghee, pudina leaves,

Close the lid and place the cooker weight.

Throughout this process the flame should be completely low and maintain this flame for 15 minutes (This process is called dum, where rice is cooked on slim flame with the cooker weight on for 15 minutes).

Switch off the flame after 15 minutes. Do not move the cooker from the gas stove and give it a standing time of 5 minutes. After, remove the cooker weight and open the lid.

Very gently stir the rice from bottom to top without breaking the meat pieces as well as the rice.

Finger licking Chettinad mutton biriyani is ready.

Serve it with boiled egg, chalna and raita.

Recipe Card

Prep time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 1 hr

Cuisine : South Indian

Category : Rice

Serves : 6

Author : Manimala

Ingredients:

For Mutton marination:

Mutton – 1 kg

Curd – ¾ – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Green chilli – 5 – 6 slit

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder  – ¼ tsp

Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

For masala:

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds / Saunf – 1 tsp

Cinnamon – 1 inch

Cloves – 3

Cardomom green – 3

Stone flower / Kalpasi – ¼ tsp

Star anise – 1

Mace / Javithri – 1 thread

Cashews – ⅛ cup (10 nos)

Poppy seeds / khas khas – ½ tsp (optional)

Ginger – ¼ cup

Garlic – ¼ cup

Green chilli – 2

Shallots – 1/3 cup

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Coriander / Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp

Pudina / Mint leaves – handful

Coriander / Dhaniya leaves – handful

For Rice:

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Oil – as required

Bay leaf – 2

Onions sliced – 5 cups

Tomato – ½ cup

Mint / Pudina – handful

Seeragasamba / Seeragasala rice – 3 cups

Water – 5 cups (refer notes)

Coconut milk – 1 cup

Salt – as required

Instructions:

1. Clean the Mutton with turmeric powder and drain the water completely, then squeeze 1 tsp of lemon juice. In a bowl add curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, slit green chilli, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Whisk it to an even mixture and add the mutton pieces and combine them well. Let it marinate for minimum 2 hrs or overnight for best results.
2. For the masala preparation, heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp of ghee, add all the spices (Fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, stone flower, mace threads) mentioned under masala, then add the cashews and Poppy seeds (khas khas) till it gets roasted.
3. Now add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes. Then add shallots with ¼ tsp salt and sauté till it turns golden brown (3-4 minutes), then add coriander and mint leaves, give a stir and add Kashmiri red chilli powder, dhaniya powder and immediately switch off the flame to avoid these powders getting burnt. Let it cool and grind it into a smooth paste. Yields roughly 1 and a half cup of paste.
4. Reserve ¾ cup of the ground masala for mutton, keep remaining ¾ cup masala in the jar itself.
5. Heat the pressure cooker with 1 tbsp oil and add the reserved ¾ ground masala to it, sauté for few minutes, then add the marinated mutton and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add around 4 cups of water or till it gets immersed and add enough salt. Close the lid and once steam comes, put the whistle. Give roughly around 12- 13 whistles.
6. Meanwhile wash the Seeragasala rice twice and soak it with water (till it get immersed) for maximum 30 minutes. (step 12 involves 20 minutes of onion browning, so just before adding sliced onion to the cooker, you can wash and soak the rice, it’ll reach the desired soaking time of 30 minutes).
7. Also finely slice the onions and tomatoes and keep them aside.
8. Take ½ cup of grated coconut and grind it in a jar with water to extract a cup of milk (mixture of 1st thick and second thin milk). You can also use store bought coconut milk powder. To make one cup of milk stir 3 tbsp of powder with a cup of water.
9. Once steam is released, open the lid and carefully remove the mutton pieces with a slotted ladle and measure the masala water left in the pan.
10. For 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water (I added 5 cups of water + 1 cup of coconut milk) in the ratio of 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, if the rice is aged. You can add 1 and ¾ cups of water to 1 cup of rice, if it is new rice.
11. Measured Masala water 5 cups + 1 cup of coconut milk which sums up 6 cups of required liquid. If the measured masala water doesn’t round up to 5 cups, adjust add warm water to make up 5 cups. If it is more than 5 cups, refer notes and kitchen secret.
12. Rinse and clean the same pressure cooker and heat ½ cup Oil, add the bay leaf, sliced onion with salt and sauté till it turns golden brown. It’ll take 20 minutes, but worth doing to get the best flavour.
13. Then add chopped tomatoes, sauté for 3 minutes, then add the remaining ground masala (¾ cup), stir well and cook for 3 – 4 minutes till the oil separates from the masala.
14. Now add the measured masala water and let it boil. Then add drained rice, strained mutton, 1 cup of coconut milk and mix well, at this stage check the spice and salt and add if needed.
15. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 7 – 8 minutes on high flame.
16. After 7 – 8 minutes, lower the flame and carefully open the lid, you can see some water on the top. Gently stir the rice from top to bottom, without breaking the rice and meat. At this stage the rice is almost 60% cooked.
17. Now add 2 tbsp of ghee, pudina leaves, close the lid and place the cooker  weight. Throughout this process the flame should be completely low and maintain this flame for 15 minutes. (This process is called dum, where rice is cooked on slim flame with the cooker weight on for 15 minutes)
18. Switch off the flame after 15 minutes. Do not move the cooker from the gas stove and give it a standing time of 5 minutes.
19. After, remove the cooker weight and open the lid. Very gently stir the rice from bottom to top without breaking the meat pieces as well as the rice.
20. Finger licking Chettinad mutton biriyani is ready to serve with boiled egg, Chalna and raita.

Notes:

• You can replace  chicken in the place of mutton, only difference is the cooking time, chicken need only 3 whistles

• As I mentioned early, determine the quantity of water according to the age of the rice. If its aged rice, it should be in the ratio 1 : 2 (1 cup of rice : 2 cups of water ), if it’s new rice ,it can be 1: 1& 3/4 cup  ( 1 cup of rice : 1 & 3/4 cup of water ).

• For 3 cups of rice, I used 6 cups which include 5 cups of masala water + 1 cup of coconut milk in it. While measuring the strained masala water from mutton, if you don’t get 5 cups, just add warm water to adjust it to get that required 5 cups.
• If the masala water is more than required 5 cups, use the 5 cups of water for biriyani and retain that excess water. Scroll down to kitchen secret to know how to utilize that extra masala water.

• Cook the rice in medium high flame without adding weight in the pressure cooker for 7-8 minutes, then immediately lower the flame to minimum, absolutely sim flame and then open the lid. You’ll see some water floating on the top, once u stir from bottom to top, water will get absorbed completely, now close the lid and continue the low flame for 15 minutes.

• Quantity of water and maintaining the precise  time for cooking and dum plays a crucial role in your end result. Biriyani will be grainy and well textured, only if these key points are observed properly.

• Marination helps to tenderize the meat, longer you keep is the best results for your meat. Also the meat quality decides the cooking time and taste of the biriyani, so always be careful while buying meat, go for standard meat.

• You can use the same recipe with basmati rice as well and almost the same ratio for water. Basmati rice is the best choice for North Indian Biriyani like Dum ki kachchi biriyani and pakki Biriyani.

• But Chettinad biriyani tastes divine with Seeragasamba or Seeragasala rice as it owes a different flavor and aroma. You’ll agree with me if you have tasted both the rice.

• For newbie, Seeragasala rice are cultivated in Kerala while Seeragasamba rice are grown in delta regions of Tamilnadu. Basically both are small grain varieties with a unique flavour.

• The rice derive its name from Jeera – seeragam in Tamil, as it’s small ovular grains share an uncanny resemblance to jeera and Samba refers to the season from August to January, when this rice is grown. Thus seeragam + samba give its name.

• Don’t miss out any spices I mentioned. Especially kalpasi / stone flower which imparts a unique and irresistible flavour to the biriyani. It’s the unique spice added in Chettinad biriyani.

• Coconut milk can be optional but I suggest you not to miss it. You can use fresh grated coconut to extract milk or store bought coconut milk powder and just add water to it to make thick extract according to the instructions given in the pack.

• If you are skipping coconut milk, then replace that one cup with water.

• Quantity of spices are purely your choice. This recipe will yield a perfect spice, if you want less spicier then you can decrease the quantity of red chilli powder used.

• Now time for my Kitchen Secrets...😉🤩

I was really pondering, what would be the right recipe for the leftover Biriyani. I was left with no answers as generally there is less chance for the term leftover biriyani, mostly emptied by the family members…😋😉

If by any chance you have leftover biriyani the next day, believe me it tastes more yummier than the previous day. You’ll definitely hear this compliment from your loved ones saying Biriyani is scrumptious,  delicious and yummylicious, showered with more praises than the previous day (provided you preserve well in the refrigerator and reheat in the frying pan.

To conclude, ‘Biriyani is Biriyani’, irrespective of the day it’s cooked. There is no leftover term in the dictionary of Biriyani…😂😂

Still I don’t want to disappoint you friends….as mentioned in the notes above if you have excess masala water than required, I asked to retain it. Here I come with a rescue dish which becomes an accompaniment to biriyani as well.

Generally, after pressure cooking the mutton, as in step 9, when I remove the mutton pieces with slotted ladle, I select few bone pieces and keep it separate. I use this to make a quick version of Instant Chalna (curry).I’ll share that secret recipe of quick and shortcut method to prepare the curry / side / accompaniment for your biriyani.