Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Tells You How To Whip Up A Gourmet Biryani At Home

Fragrant, fluffy rice perfectly seasoned with spices and flavourful chunks of meat - biryani is the perfect feel-good meal to cure your lockdown blues.

Celebrated chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares his take on the Awadhi Biryani recipe that is a favourite in his family.

He says, 'When Alyona and I are hosting friends over, we make sure to include a variety of dishes on the menu. My foodie family loves biryanis, so it’s a must on the menu without fail. And, amongst the varied types, two of my all-time favourites are the flavourful Awadhi biryani, and the spicy Hyderabadi biryani — depending on what I am craving at that point of time. Biryani-making is no less than an art, so there are no easy ways to prepare one. So, the best way to prepare a perfect one is to ‘be patient’! Because the best things in the world take time!'

Awadhi Biryani

Ingredients

1½ kgs mutton on the bone, cut into medium size pieces

1 kg basmati rice, soaked

½ cup ghee

5-7 green cardamoms

4-5 black cardamoms

3-4 mace blades (javitri)

1-2 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks, 1 inch in size

7-8 black peppercorns

8-10 cloves

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Salt to taste

1 cup fried onion + for garnish

1 cup yoghurt

2 tbsps yellow chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsps cashew-almond paste

Mint leaves as required

2-inch ginger, cut into strips

2-3 green chillies

2 tsp green cardamom-mace (elaichi- javitri) powder

3 tbsps rose water

3 tbsps kewra water

Juice of ½ lemon

A large pinch of saffron, soaked in water

¼ cup fresh cream

Mint sprig for garnish

Burani raita to serve

Method

1. Heat ¼ cup ghee in a lagan; add green cardamom, black cardamom, mace blades, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cloves. Cook it on a low flame till fragrant.

2. Add ginger-garlic paste, sauté well. Add mutton and sauté well. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add salt and mix well.

3. Crush ½ cup fried onion and add to the mixture, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add yoghurt and cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add yellow chilli powder and mix well, add turmeric powder and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add sufficient water and mix well. Cover and cook till the mutton is cooked.

5. Add cashew-almond paste and mix well. Add mint leaves and ¼ ginger strips, mix well and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame.

6. Strain the mix in a bowl and discard the whole spices. Add the mutton pieces and the stock (yakhni) back in the lagan and cook it on low flame for 3-5 minutes.

7. Slit the green chillies and add to the mixture, mix well. Add green cardamom-mace powder. Add 1tbsp kewra water and 1tbsp rose water, mix well.

8. Heat sufficient water in a handi, add salt and lemon juice and let the water come to a boil.

9. Add rice and mix well. Add 4 tsp of ghee and cook for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, add 2 tbsps fried onion to the mutton mixture.

10. Strain ¼ rice and evenly spread it over the mutton mixture. Add a little saffron water, 1 tbsp kewra water and 1 tbsp rose water. Add ¼ ginger and a few mint leaves. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes.

11. Once the remaining rice is ¾ cooked, strain and evenly spread this on the prepared mutton-rice mixture. Add the remaining saffron water and a few more mint leaves and remaining ginger, kewra, and rose water.

12. In another bowl, add 1 cup of the rice water and fresh cream, 1 tbsp ghee. Make holes between the rice and pour the prepared liquid. Add the remaining ghee and cover.

13. Add remaining fried onion and mint leaves. Seal the lid with dough and cook it on dum for 20-25 minutes. Switch the flame off.

14. Garnish with fried onion and mint sprig. Serve hot with burani raita.