Hyderabadi Kacchi Biryani

Ingredients
500 gms Basmati rice washed and drained
1 kg mutton cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste
5 big onions, sliced finely and fried till crispy
2 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
6tbsp Ghee
2" piece raw papaya made into paste
1 ½ cups beaten curd/ yogurt
2 pinches saffron, dissolved in warm milk

Powder the following masala: 
4 pieces cinnamon stick
2 elaichi/cardamom
6 green elaichi
6 cloves
2 Bay leaf
1 tsp Peppercorns
1 tsp Black cumin

Whole masala for the rice: 
1 masala elaichi
2 pieces dalchini
2 green elaichi
3 cloves
5 tbsp ghee or refined oil
A handful of fresh chopped mint and coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method

• To the mutton add the beaten curd, ginger and garlic paste, raw papaya paste, chilli powder, turmeric, powdered masala, salt and half of the crushed fried onions. Allow the mutton to marinate for 3 hours.
• Heat water(2 ½ times more than the rice). As soon as it boils, add the whole masala, rice and salt to taste.
• Cook the rice half done and drain the water.
• Melt the ghee and keep a side.

To Assemble:

• Take a heavy bottomed wide deep vessel and add the marinated mutton and 1/2 of the melted ghee. Cover with chopped mint and coriander leaves, fried onion and slit green chillies and juice of one lemon. Spread the rice over this.
• Sprinkle the remaining ghee, saffron milk and lemon juice.
• Cover and seal the vessel with atta paste.
• Place over high flame for 20 to 25 minutes, then lower heat and cook  for another 45 minutes.
• Allow to dum. Serve hot.

Rasam Powder Preparation

Ingredients
Toor dal/kandi pappu 1/2 cup
Channa dal 1/2 cup
Coriander seeds/dhaniyalu 1/2 cup
Red chilli/endu mirapakayalu 10
Cumin seeds/jeelakarra 3/4 cup
Black pepper/miryalu 3/4 cup
Curry leaves/Karivepaku 4 or 5 strings
Hing 1/2 tsp

Method

• Dry roast red chilli in medium flame.
• Dry roast channa dal and toor dal separately until dals get golden brown in color. Keep a side in a plate for cooling and then roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and pepper for about 2 minutes. or you can be kept in the microwave for 2 minutes to get crisp.
• Let these ingredients get cool.
• Grind all ingredients along with hing in a mixer grinder and to maintain the flavor and freshness store in an airtight container or in a glass jar.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Ingredients
500 gms Basmati rice
1 kg mutton, cut into small pieces
2 tsp garam masala
6 red chillies
A handful of cashew nuts
5 big onions, sliced finely and fried till crispy
 2 cloves
2 pieces cinnamon stick
3/4 tsp shah jeera
12 pepper corns
3 elaichi/cardamom
6 green chillies
3 bay leaves
1 small bunch coriander, chopped finely
1 small bunch mint, chopped finely
3 tsp Ginger and Garlic paste
1 cup curd/ yogurt
Lemon Juice 3 tsp
2 pinches saffron, dissolved in ¾ cup milk
5 tbsp ghee or refined oil
4 boiled eggs for garnishing
Salt to taste
Method

• Grind the following to a paste: red chillies and cashew nuts. To the mutton apply the ginger and garlic paste and beaten curd. Keep aside.
• Heat 4 tablespoons ghee and fry the red chilli, masala. Add the marinated mutton, 1/4 of the fried onion, one teaspoon garam masala and salt to taste.
• Keep frying till ghee separates. Add 1 ½ cups warm water. Pressure cook till tender. Heat pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee and fry the masala.
• Add the rice and fry a little. Add the green chillies and salt to taste. Add enough warm water. Cook till rice is done, remove and spread on a thlali, discarding the whole masala.
• Mix together the chopped coriander, mint, garam masala and fried onion. Set aside.

To Assemble: 

• Take a heavy bottomed wide deep vessel and line it with ghee.
• Spread a layer of rice and cover it with half of the mutton. Sprinkle half of the coriander and mint mixture and juice of 1 lime.
• Cover with rice, followed by a mutton layer. Finish with a rice layer.
• Sprinkle the rice with saffron milk and dot with ghee.
• Cover tightly and place over a griddle for dum about 2O minutes. Serve hot, garnish with eggs cut into halves.