13/04/2026
check complete recipe👇
Ingredients:
For the Mutton Preparation:
750 gm mutton (bone-in, medium-sized tender pieces)
300 g ghee or oil
150 g onions (thinly sliced; approx. 3 medium)
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp yellow chilli powder
Salt to taste
60 g curd (plain yogurt, whisked)
150 ml milk
2–3 tsp biryani masala (mixed in ½ cup milk)
5 cloves
4 green cardamoms
For Cooking the Rice:
1 kg basmati rice
3–3.5 litres water
Salt to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
4–5 cloves
4–5 green cardamoms
For Dum & Finishing:
Saffron strands soaked in 6–7 tbsp warm milk
2 tbsp kewra water
A pinch of orange food colour (optional)
Fried onions (birista) for garnish
Preparation:
Fry onions until golden (birista); crush half. Soak rice (1 hour). Whisk curd. Prepare saffron milk and colour solution.
Method:
Heat ghee; add whole spices. Sauté ginger-garlic paste, then add mutton and sear 12–15 mins. Add salt, cover and cook 10 mins. Add chilli powder and crushed birista; cook briefly. Lower heat, add curd, cook until fat separates. Add water and simmer until mutton is tender. Strain gravy, enrich with milk, return to pan with mutton. Add biryani masala milk and kewra water; cook 2 mins.
Parboil rice in salted water with whole spices and lemon juice until 75% done; drain.
Dum (Layering):
Layer rice over mutton (add colour midway). Finish with saffron milk and kewra water. Seal pot and cook on tawa: 5 mins medium, 10 mins low. Rest 15–20 mins.
Gently fluff, garnish with birista, and serve hot with raita.
Professional Tips
Use aged basmati rice for long, non-sticky grains.
Maintain low heat during dum to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.
Avoid excessive spices to preserve the authentic Awadhi taste.
Seal the pot properly to retain moisture and aroma.
Do not overmix after cooking, as it may break the rice grains.
