Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg- Mutton
• 2- marrow bones
• 1 tbsp – Lime juice
• 1 kg- basmati Rice
• 750 g- Onion
• 8 to 10 – Green chillies
• 1 cup- Mint leaves
• 1 cup-coriander leaves
• 750 g- Tomato
• 1/3 cup+2 tbsp- Ghee
• 1/3 cup- oil
• 6 Cloves
• few pieces Cinnamon
• 4 Cardamom
• 2 Star anise
• 2 marata moggu
• 3 blades Mace
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tbsp- ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 tsp- chili powder
• 1 tsp- Turmeric powder
• little Orange food colour
• salt to taste
• For Garnishing:
• fried Cashew nuts
• fried Onion slices
• hard boiled eggs

Method:

1. Cut the mutton into medium size pieces. Wash well. Add about 2 cups of water, salt and lime juice.
2. Pressure cook with the marrow bones for 10 mins. Cool, drain and reserve the stock.
3. Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 mins. Drain and keep aside.
4. Slice the onions. Finely chop green chillies, mint and coriander. Chop tomatoes.
5. Heat 1/3 cup of ghee and the oil in a thick bottomed vessel. Add all the ingredients from cloves to bay leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
6. Add onion and fry till brown. Add ginger- garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
7. Add chilli-turmeric powder, green chili, mint and coriander. Add tomato and cook till it is soft.
8. Add mutton and rice. Combine mutton stock with enough water.
9. Add salt to taste (only what is needed for rice). Mix gently. Let the mixture boil. Cover and simmer till the water is in level with the rice.
10. Meanwhile, place a thick flat tawa on the other gas. Also have a vessel containing hot water ready.
11. Transfer the biriyani on to the tawa, and place the vessel with hot water on the lid.
12. Leave on moderate heat till all the water in the rice is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
13. Switch off the fire and leave the biriyani without disturbing for at least 15-20 mins.
14. Just before serving, mix very lightly without breaking the grains of rice. Garnish with fried cashew nuts and onion slices and wedges of hard boiled eggs.

Recipe courtesy of Chandra Bhat