Mutton Biryani

SERVES: 6 – 8
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
STOVE TOP TIME: 35 MINUTES
WONDERBAG TIME: 4 HOURS
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE TO DIFFICULT

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5kg Mutton pieces with bone
• 2 cups whole Lentils
• 2 cups Rice
• 2 stick Cinnamon
• 4 Cardamom
• 5ml Cumin
• 4 Green Chillies
• 250ml Sour Milk
• 30ml fresh grated tomato
• 2 sprigs Mint
• 2,5ml Saffron
• 2,5ml Turmeric
• 5ml Salt
• 5ml Dhania Powder
• 7,5ml crushed Red Chilli
• 6 small Potatoes
• 375ml Ghee / Oil
• 2 medium Onions
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
• 5ml grated Ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Fry the sliced onions in half the ghee or oil until pale golden. Drain and cool.
2. Leave aside 1 tablespoon of fried onions aside.
3. Place the meat in a large bowl. Add the saffron, ginger and garlic, sour milk, tomatoes, spices, remaining fried onions, whole green chillies and mint and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
4. In the meantime, boil the lentils in salted water until done. Drain off in a colander.
5. Boil the rice with 2 cardamom pods and 1 cinnamon stick until half cooked and drain.
6. Peel the potatoes and cut each potato in 6. Fry the potatoes until light yellow in the Ghee used for frying the onions. Set aside.
7. In a large flat bottomed pot, add the ghee used for frying and the half that was kept aside and gently heat.
8. Sprinkle a handful of rice and lentils over the base of the pot.
9. Arrange the marinating meat and masalas carefully over the rice and lentils.  Spread the remaining lentils over the meat.
10. Arrange the potatoes on top of the lentils and then spread the rice on top.
11. Decorate with the fried onions that were set aside, sprinkle with any remaining ghee and 125ml water.
12. Close the pot and turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
14. Place the sealed pot in the Wonderbag on a cloth or mat and seal.
15. Leave for 4 – 5 hours, then open and serve with fresh dhania, poppadum’s and minted sour milk.