Bhatkali Style Mutton Biryani

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram mutton with bones
• 1 large onion sliced & deep fried
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 3 inch piece of ginger
• 5 green chilies (for making paste)
• 5 whole green chilies (for frying)
• 4 medium size onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 cup chopped coriander leaves (3/4 cup for gravy + 1/4 cup for dum cooking)
• Salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cooking oil (or as per your need)

For Rice:

• 4 cups basmati long grain rice (1 cup = 250 gms)
• 4 cardamom
• 3 bay leaves
• Some chopped coriander leaves 
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt
• 1/4 cup warm milk + few drops of rose water + Saffron strands
• 3 tbsp ghee 

Preparation:

1. Wash rice till water runs clear. Soak for 20 minutes.
2. Chop 1 large size onion or 2 medium size into slices. Deep fry and set aside.
3. Make a paste of 5 big size cloves of garlic, same amount of ginger & 5 green chilies (as per your taste).
4. Finely chop 4 medium size onions and 2 large tomatoes.
5. Chop coriander leaves.
6. Mix together warm milk, rose water and saffron.

Method:

• Heat 1/2 cup or less oil in a pressure cooker and fry 4 onions finely chopped till soft and transparent. Then add 5 whole green chilies, ginger+garlic+green chili paste and chopped mint leaves.
• Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder & 1 tsp garam masala powder. Fry well till tomatoes are well combined.
• Then add mutton pieces, salt and 1 cup water, cook for 1 minute. Place the lid and pressure cook for 20 minutes or till mutton is cooked. Once cooked add 3/4 cup chopped coriander leaves.
• Remove some of the top layer of oil from the gravy and set aside for later use (dum cooking).

For Rice Preparation

• Heat a large vessel (this will be used for dum cooking) filled with water (3 or 4 times more than the rice). Bring to a boil and add bay leaves, cardamom, vinegar, chopped coriander, salt and oil.
• Add the soaked rice and cook till 90% done. When you check the rice it should be firm and not fully cooked.
• Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.
• In the same vessel (in which rice was cooked) pour the hot mutton gravy.
• On the gravy, spread half of the cooked rice and sprinkle with half of milk + rose water + saffron mixture. Sprinkle a half of chopped coriander leaves and half of fried onion. 
• For third layer repeat the previous step with rest of the rice.
• Make some deep dents in the rice so that the steam can easily circulate. Pour some ghee and some oil from top layer of the mutton gravy over the rice and seal the vessel with a foil and a tight lid. (to avoid the steam from escaping)
• Cook on medium low heat for 15 minutes. You will see the foil has puffed up due to the steam. Switch off the gas and let the biryani stay covered for another 15 minutes.
• Serve hot with Raita or salad.