Mutton Dum Biryani

This recipe was learnt from a Muslim cook expert in Mutton Dum Biryani when we were kids. My mother followed it dutifully and I have picked it up from her. 

Serves 3 to 4 (1/2 measure)

Ingredients

• 500 grams goat meat (front shoulder of young, adult male goat) See note below. 
• 500 grams Basmati rice
• 5 to 6 cloves
• 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
• 125 grams onion, sliced finely
• 125 grams tomatoes, diced
• 50 grams ginger, ground to a smooth paste (one-tenth of the weight of meat) See note below.
• 50 grams garlic, ground to a smooth paste (one-tenth of the weight of meat)
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 6 to 7 green chili peppers, whole
• Salt to taste
• 125 ml oil
• 1 heaped tsp chili powder
• 1 or 2 lemon, juiced

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Preparation

• Wash Basmati rice and soak it in water for an hour.
• Add water in another pan (large enough to cook rice), cover and keep it on simmer till gravy is ready.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves and cinnamon and allow it to splutter.
• Add sliced onions and whole green chili peppers and saute for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
• Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then add meat and salt and saute well for about 10 to 12 minutes. Add chili powder and stir well.
• Now add half of the mint leaves, curd and tomatoes and stir just once or twice. 
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles and simmer for about 4 minutes (more if the meat is tough) and allow to cool. 
• In the meanwhile, allow the simmering water to come to a boil and add salt in it. The add the soaked rice.
• Once the pressure is released, add lemon juice and taste. Add more if necessary, check for salt and allow the gravy to simmer for about 15 minutes.
• At the same time, allow the simmering water to come to a boil and add salt in it. The add the soaked rice. In about 4 to 5 minutes, the rice will start coming up to the top. After about 2 minutes when the most of the rice starts coming up to the top, drain the water in a pot. And add the rice into the gravy half first and add the remaining mint leaves on top of it and then add the rest of the rice. 
• Give the cooker or the wide stockpot you are using a good shake so that the rice from the bottom comes up and vice versa. 
• Wet a towel or a thick cloth and cover the lid completely with it. The lid should be airtight. Then place the pot with the drained rice water on top of the lid and cover it. (I also keep a brick on top of this for the heat to permeate to the cooker or the stockpot).
• Keep it in simmer for 15 minutes. Check if the rice is done and if not simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from flame and serve hot. 

Note 1:

Young, male adult goat meat has it won taste. I always check this and buy goat meat. To check for goat meat, you have to check the tail. The goat's tail is short and curved upwards while the sheep's tail is longer and curved downwards. 

Note 2:

I always use the ratio 1 part rice and 2 parts meat. Since ginger and garlic paste should be one-tenth of the weight of meat, if I use 500 grams rice and 1 kilo meat, I should use 100 grams ginger and 100 grams garlic. Also one large onion and one large tomato (roughly 75 to 80 grams) should be added along with the measurement given above. The rest of the measurements will remain the same.