Gilli Biryani - Chef Rammohan's Style

Step 1: Prepare Biryani Masala Base

Heat a large pot. Add 2 tsp ghee and 3 tsp mustard oil. Once hot, add whole garam masala (bay leaf, green cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, cloves). Add a pinch of cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Sauté until fragrant. Add 4-5 slit green chillies, 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves, and 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves. Sauté. Add 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste. Sauté until the raw smell disappears. Add 4g jeera powder, 3g turmeric powder, 8g Kashmiri chilli powder, 8g Mehran biryani masala, and salt to taste. Mix well. Add 5g fennel powder. Mix well. Add 400-500g fried onions. Mix well. Add 75g curd. Mix well. Add a little water to adjust consistency and taste for salt. Add 2 tsp homemade tomato paste. Mix well.

Step 2: Add Mutton and Simmer

Add the pre-cooked 1.3 kg mutton pieces and the Rogan Josh gravy to the biryani masala. Mix gently. Simmer for a few minutes to combine flavors.

Step 3: Prepare Rice for Dum

In a separate pot, boil water with 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 4-5 green cardamoms, 1 star anise, 3-4 cloves, a handful of mint leaves, a handful of coriander leaves, and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste. Add 18-20g salt to the boiling water. Add 40ml coconut milk. Add the 750g soaked basmati rice. Cook until 60-70% done (approximately 10-15 minutes). Strain the rice.

Step 4: Layering and Dum Cooking

Layer the strained rice evenly over the mutton masala in the pot. Drizzle a few drops of lemon juice, a little ghee, and some Rogan (oil from mutton gravy) over the rice. Garnish with a few fried onions, chopped coriander, and mint leaves. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and then a lid to create an airtight seal. Place the pot on a tawa (griddle) on high flame for 5 minutes, then reduce to low flame and cook for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Gilli Biryani Steaming (Optional)

Once the dum biryani is ready, open the lid. In a separate pot, boil water. Place a rice strainer on top. Take a portion of the biryani from the main pot, including mutton pieces, and place it in the strainer. Spoon some of the Rogan Josh gravy over the biryani in the strainer. Cover the strainer with a lid and steam for 10 minutes on high flame.

Step 6: Serve and Taste

Serve the hot Gilli Biryani. The chef and his wife taste the biryani, emphasizing its moist, flavorful, and non-mushy texture.

• Use Mehran Biryani Masala for best flavor (chef's preference).

• Do not mash the biryani; it should be moist but separate.

• For basmati rice, use 1.25-1.3 liters of water per 1 kg rice.

• For seeraga samba rice, use 1.7-1.8 liters of water per 1 kg rice.

• Salt for rice water should be slightly more than usual.

• For Gilli Biryani, steam individual portions for 10 minutes for best results.

• Add live charcoal with ghee for a smoky flavor (optional).