Hyderabadi Dum Gosht Biryani

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram mutton (gosht), cut into 2 inch pieces on the bone
• 2 tablespoons raw papaya paste
• 1½ tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 2 inch cinnamon, broken
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
• 1½ teaspoons red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder + for sprinkling
• 2½ teaspoons finely chopped green chillies
• 1 cup whisked yogurt
• ½ cup fried onions + for sprinkling + for garnish
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 10-12 fresh mint leaves + for sprinkling + for garnish
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup oil used to fry the onions
• ½ cup ghee + for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• ½ tablespoon screwpine (kewra) water
• A large pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 inch ginger, cut into thin strips
• Whole wheat dough for sealing
• Rice
• 3 cups Basmati rice, washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• Salt, a generous amount
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 3-4 cloves

Method

1. Place mutton on a large plate, add raw papaya paste, ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, caraway seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, green chillies, whisked yogurt and ½ cup lightly crushed fried onions. Squeeze the juice of lemon and add coriander leaves, tear the mint leaves and add. Add salt and mix till each mutton piece is coated with the masala. 
2. Add the oil used to fry onions and mix again. Cover and set aside to marinate for 1-2 hours. 
3. Bring sufficient water to a boil in a deep pan. Add a generous amount of salt, cinnamon, bay leaf, green cardamoms and cloves. 
4. Spread ghee at the bottom of a large handi. Add the marinated mutton in this. 
5. Add the Basmati rice to the boiling water, mix and cook for 1 minute. Drain ¼ of the rice and spread it over the mutton mixture. Continue to cook the remaining rice till it is 70% cooked.
6. Drain this remaining rice and spread over the mutton mixture. Drizzle rose water, screwpine water and sprinkle some garam masala powder. Make some holes on the rice and drizzle ghee into each hole and also along the sides. Drizzle some soaked saffron and sprinkle fried onion, mint leaves and ginger strips. 
7. Apply the whole wheat dough along the edges of the handi, place a lid over it and press it to seal and cook on high heat for about 10 minutes. When you see some steam escaping and the lid is very hot, place a heavy grinding stone over the lid and a tawa below the handi and cook on low heat for about 35-40 minutes.  
8. Switch the heat off and allow the biryani to rest for 10-15 minutes. 
9. Transfer the biryani into a serving plate, garnish with fried onion and mint leaves and serve hot. 
10. Chef’s Note – If you want to make Hyderabadi Chicken Biryan then follow the same recipe, just omit the raw papaya paste and reduce the cooking time.