Lucknowi Biryani For Special Lunch

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Biryani is a craze in India and many other countries in the Eastern part of the world. There are many famous types of biryani and Lucknowi biryani is one of the popular Indian varieties of this dish. Biryani freaks would agree that like all other kinds of Awadhi food, this biryani recipe can be characterised by its delicate flavours. Which is why, this is an ideal recipe for lunch on a lazy Sunday
Lucknowi biryani is not overtly spicy like other biryani recipes (for example, Hyderabadi Biryani). The spices used in this biryani are subtle. The rice cooks in the stock of the meat soaking in its rich flavour. In this biryani recipe, we are using mutton. You can try making Lucknowi biryani with chicken too; just remember to adjust the cooking time.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients Of The Marinade

Curd- 1 cup (beaten)

Ginger garlic paste- 2tbsp

Red chilli powder- 1tbsp

Cloves- 4

Cardamom- 4

Mace (javitri)- 1

Nutmeg (baddi elaichi)- 1

Other Ingredients

Mutton- 500 grams

Basmati rice- 2 and 1/2 cups

Onions- 2 (sliced)

Almonds- 8-10 (soaked and grinded into a paste)

Oil- 2tbsp

Ghee- 2tbsp

Mint leaves- 2 twigs

Coriander leaves- 1 twig

Green chillies- 4 (slit)

Saffron- 4-5 strands (soaked in kewra water)

Salt- as per taste

Procedure

Wash and soak the rice for an hour. Soak the kesar or saffron in kewra water.

Grind all nutmeg, mace, cloves and cardamom together into powder. Then whisk all the ingredients of the marinade with the curd.

Add salt and marinate the meat with it. Leave it aside for 1 hour.

After an hour, heat oil in a pressure cooker. Saute onions in it till they turn golden brown. Then add the marinated mutton along with all the marinade to the pressure cooker.

Cook it for 5 minutes on medium flame. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for the duration of 2-3 whistles.

Meanwhile heat ghee in a deep bottomed pan and saute the almond paste in it. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame.

Drain all the water from the rice and fry them with the almond paste. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour half the rice into a microwavable bowl. Pour half the mutton and gravy over it.

Cover it up with the rest of the rice and then pour the rest of the gravy on top of it. Sprinkle saffron and kewra water.

Cover and cook in the microwave for 15 minutes at 80 per cent power. Give it standing time for 10 minutes and then garnish with mint and coriander leaves.

Try this special lunch recipe for Sunday's Lunch. Do let us know how much your family enjoyed Lucknowi biryani.