Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Prepare Fried Onions

   Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a large pot. Add 2 sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Once fried, remove about half of the fried onions and set aside for layering later.

2. 2.Brown Mutton with Spices

   To the remaining oil and onions in the pot, add 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 star anise. Fry for a few seconds. Then, add 500 grams of mutton pieces and 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Mix well and cook until the mutton changes color.

3. 3.Add Dry Spices

   Add 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and 6-7 whole black peppercorns. Next, add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala, and 2 tbsp Sindhi biryani masala. Mix all the spices thoroughly with the mutton and cook until the oil separates from the mixture.

4. 4.Cook Mutton Curry

   Stir in 1/2 cup of yogurt and mix well. Add 2 diced tomatoes, 2-3 green chillies, and 2 quartered potatoes (if using). Pour in 1 glass of water, cover the pot, and cook until the mutton is tender. This will take approximately 30-40 minutes on low heat or less if using a pressure cooker.

5. 5.Prepare for Layering

   Once the mutton is tender, add chopped fresh coriander, fresh mint, and lemon slices to the pot. Also, add the remaining diced tomatoes and the reserved fried onions over the mutton curry. In a separate small bowl, combine 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/2 tsp garam masala and a pinch of food color, then mix well. Pour this colored yogurt mixture evenly over the mutton curry in the pot.

6. 6.Boil Basmati Rice

   In a separate large pot, bring sufficient water to a boil. Add 3-4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a small piece of mace, 5-6 black peppercorns, 3 tbsp salt, a few sprigs of mint leaves, juice from 1/2 lemon, and 2 green chillies to the boiling water. Once the water is boiling vigorously, add 3 cups of basmati rice (which has been soaked for 30 minutes). Cook the rice until it is 70% done.

7. 7.Layer and Dum Cook Biryani

   Carefully layer the 70% cooked rice over the mutton curry in the pot. Then, add the remaining 90% cooked rice as the final layer on top. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions over the rice. Cover the pot tightly and cook on a very low flame (dum) for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking.

8. 8.Serve Mutton Biryani

   After 20 minutes, remove the lid. Gently mix the biryani from bottom to top to combine the mutton curry and rice layers. Serve hot.