Recipe: Memoni Mutton Biryani

While we lived in Dubai, we were served homemade biryani at a lot of the homes that we were invited to. Suprisingly over 80% of the women who made biryani, confessed to using "Shan's Memoni Mutton Biryani Mix. So I picked up a 65gm pack just before leaving Dubai.

I rarely cook with pre-mixes, except for mums Bafat and Stew powder mixtures, garam masala and the occassional chhole masala. so this packet was languishing at the back of my kitchen cupboard until yesterday. In the midst of a kitchen cabinet cleaning spree, I found it and since I had already taken out the mutton to defrost and planned to make a biryani, I decided to use up this packet, before it passed expiry.

The result was amazing. The husband even pronounced it, the best biryani I had ever made! So now I will have to hunt for "Shan's Memoni Mutton Biryani Mix in the gullies of INA market.
You can use this same recipe with any biryani masala that you have, but its worth ferretting out "Shan's Memoni Mutton Biryani Mix.

The packet has a recommended recipe at the back, which I adapted for my own convenience.

Ingredients:
750gms Mutton cubed (I used with bones and trimmed almost all the fat)
750gms Rice - wash and soak for 30 minutes
3-4 medium Onions - sliced
2 large Potatoes - large cubes (same size as mutton)
3-4 medium tomatoes chopped fine
250gms yoghurt/ dahi
1 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
10 green chillies slit (you can skip this if you do not like your food spicy)
3-4tbsp lime juice
salt to taste
1 tsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
1 packet/65gm "Shan's Memoni Mutton Biryani Mix


Method:
Melt the ghee in a hot pan (I use a pressure cooker).
When the ghee melts add the oil, before the ghee starts to smoke.
Fry onions till soft, the add tomatoes and fry till tomatoes break down.
Add the mutton cubes and fry for a few minutes.
Optional:  Add 1/2 cup of boiled channa dal

In a bowl mix the yoghurt till smooth, add ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and "Shan's Memoni Mutton Biryani Mix. (Kim's Tip: Remember to bring your yoghurt to room temperature and mix it smooth, else it will split when you add it to the hot pan)

 Add this mixture to the mutton and fry till it starts to boil.

Add the potatoes and a little water if the mixture is too dry.

Close the pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles (or if you are using an open pan, cook till meat is tender) and turn the flame off.
Once you open the cooker, add the lemon juice and green chillies and stir well.

In a pan, cook the rice with salt until 3/4th done.
Drain the water.

Spread 75% of the rice in a pan.
Pour the mutton, potatoes and gravy over this rice (if your curry has a lot of liquid, don't use all of it, reserve some to serve on the side)

 Cover the mutton gravy with the remaining 25% of rice.
Optional: Sprinkle a few drops of kewra (screw pine)water or rose water
Cover and cook on low heat till the rice is fully cooked (I microwaved it for about 20 minutes)

 Alternative:
I sometimes use this method to minimise my washing :)
Semi cook the mutton, add the chillies and lemon, then add the soaked rice.
Adjust water and pressure cook till done.

Serve hot with chilled raita.
Since this is a spicy biryani, I made a very simple raita with just salt, sugar, jeera (cumin) powder and finely chopped corriander (cilantro)