Pepper Mutton

Pepper Mutton 

Ingredients :

Mutton	¼ kg
Onion	1 no
Tomatoes	1 no
Ginger Garlic Paste	2 spoons
Mustard	1 spoon
Curry leaves	As needed
Chili powder - Optional	1 spoon
Oil	3 to 4 spoons
Tamarind water	¼ cup.
Salt	To taste

For Dry masala Grinding :

Coconut Grating	1 spoon
Cumin seeds/ jeeragam	1 spoon
Pepper pods	1 spoon
Coriander seeds	2 spoon
Red chilies	3
Curry leaves	As needed

In a frying pan, Roast the ingredients for the dry masala “separately” . Each of them can be roasted for say about 2 mins ( in low flame )and keep aside for to cool. Curry leaves can be added with the coconut grating and roasted. After this is cool Grind it to a coarse powder.

Preparation Method :

1.     1.     Pressure cooks Mutton for 2 whistles.

2.     In a Pan heat the oil . Add mustard seed and wait till it pops.

3.        Add Onions cut into medium size cubes and fry till slight brown. I normally add curry leave after adding the onion for it to stay green.

4.        Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the smell goes. Say 2 mins.

5.     Add cut tomatoes. Finely chopped  or medium sized. Cook till its raw smell is gone.

6.     Add the spoon of Chili powder and cook. Add about half a cup of water and cook till oil separates from the gravy.

7.     Now add the Mutton pieces without any excess water. And fry for few minutes.

8.     Once it fries for about 3 to 4 minutes add the Dry masala and roast again.

9.     Add remaining water of the cooked mutton and fry till the gravy sets and the mutton .

10.  After that add about ¼ cup of tamanind water. And salt. Allow the mutton to cook and the gravy should condense to half the quantity.

11.  Now pepper mutton is ready to serve. J

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani

For marinating:

Mutton	1 kg
Curd	2 cups
Fried onions	2 big
Chili powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Vinegar	½ tsp
Ginger garlic paste	5tsp
Lemon juice	1
Cooking oil	Half a cup (6 to 8 tsp)
salt	1 ½ tsp

The onion should be sliced into medium size  pieces and fry with about 2 tsp of oil till it becomes dark brown. Now add all the above ingredients with the mutton and marinate for at least 2 hrs.

For Rice :

Basmathi rice	6 cups
water	18 cups
cardamom	3nos
Cinnamon	1 inch pieces 2
cloves	4
salt	1 tsp
Oil	3tsp

1.       Rice needs to be cooked in two stages. So follow the below steps to get the biryani with the best rice consistency.

2.       Wash and Soak the rice for about ½ an hour.

3.       In a big vessel take the water and add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Now take about 6 cups of water with the spice mixture and keep aside.

4.       Now boil the water. When it is boiling add about 4 cups if soaked rice .

5.       Add ½ tsp of salt and  2 tsp of oil and stir. Cook this rice for about 8 to 9 minutes. This part of the rice should be cooked ¾.Drain off excess water completely.

6.       Now with the remaining water , oil and salt cook the remaining rice in a separate vessel. This part of the rice should be cooked for about 5 minutes. This should be only ½ cooked rice.

7.       Similarly drain off the water completely.

For Main Curry:

Onions	3 big
Tomatoes	3 medium
Green chilies	5 numbers
Coriander	Half a cup
Mint	1 cup
Ginger garlic paste	10 tsp
Cooking oil	Half a cup (6 to 8 tsp)
cardamom	3nos
Cinnamon	1 inch pieces 2
Pepper pods	1 ½ tsp
cloves	4
Oil	Half a cup

Method:

1.       In a pressure cooker / heavy bottom vessel heat the oil. \

2.       Add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper pods .You can add or reduce the amount if needed. But the spices amount I have give is moderate amount.

3.       Now add the Onions and fry till it becomes golden brown.

4.       Add the green chilies. Chilies can be added or reduced as per requirement.

5.       Add the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Roast till brown .

6.       Add the ginger garlic paste. And fry till raw smell goes.

7.       Add tomatoes and cook. Don’t mash just fry by stiring. Tomatoes should be cut into medium size pieces.

8.       For biriyani the tomatoes preferred would be the Hybrid ones( Naatu Thakali ).Cause it would add the tangy taste. In this case u can avoid or reduce the lemon juice to half.

9.       Now once the tomatoes is cooked for about 5 mins add the Marinated mutton mixture and  stir well .

10.    The gravy and the mutton should blend well.

11.    Then after cooking for about 5minutes add enough water till the mutton is covered. Now Pressure cook the mutton for one whistle

12.    If u feel the mixture is very watery keep it on low flame for 5 mins.

13.    In a another heavy bottom vessel add half of the gravy and maximum pieces in the lower layer.

14.    Then  add the half cooked rice over the gravy.

15.    Then add another layer of the gravy .

16.    Then cover that with the remaining rice .i.e. the ¾ cooked rice.

17.    Over this add the left over gravy and pieces.

18.    Also it would be great if u added some roasted onions like the one added for a marinating.

19.    Check for salt in the gravy before u add the rice. If you feel it will need some more salt add it in this stage itself. Because during the Dhum process it will get absorbed in the rice evenly.

20.    Now close the container with a heavy and proper fit lid.

Dhum Process :

1. Once the container is closed with a thick plate, take some chapathi dough.

2. Seal the sides of the vessel and the plate together through out. This will keep the vapor inside and

      allow the rice and gravy to set well.

3.  Now Place a Dosa tawa on the stove and heat.

4. Place the briyani dhum vessel over the tawa. Keep the flame very low.

5.  Add little water on the tawa to keep the warmth on to the briyani vessel.

6. This should be there on flame for 40 minutes. ( note for chicken I said jus 15 to 20 minutes, In the case of mutton its 40 minutes. Cause we have cooked the mutton only for one whistle. The rest of the flesh will cook only during the Dhum. This will add more taste to the flesh.

7. Once the flame is put off leave it like that for about 10 minutes till the pressure inside subsidizes.

8. Open and now mix well without breaking the rice particles.

9. Move the karandi from bottom to top. Bringing the pieces at the bottom to top. 

Don't mix too hard. 

Awesome mutton Biryani ready !!!! 

 If the flesh is well cooked  it will look like this. And if it gets roasted in during the Dhum , then it can be the best flesh to taste. 

Dhum Chicken Biryani

Dhum Chicken Biryani

Marinade

·         ½ to ¾ kg Chicken pieces

·         3 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

·         2 – 3 tsp Chili Powder

·         2 tsp Coriander Powder

·         ½ tsp Turmeric

·         Juice of 1 lime

·         5 tsp curd

·         Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

·         10 Pepper Corns

·         10 Coves

·         ½ tsp Cardamom Seeds

·         1” Cinnamon Stick

·         3 Large Onion sliced

·         3 tomatoes sliced

·         Ginger garlic paste – 5 or 6 spoons

·         1 cup Oil

·         5 to 6 Chilies split into two

·         1 cup chopped Mint Leaves

·         4 cups Basmati Rice soaked for 30 minutes

Spices for boiling rice

·         3 Cardamoms

·         3 Cloves

·         2 Bay Leaves

·         1 Bay Flower or Biryani Flower

·         1 tbsp of Oil

·         Salt

Method:

1.      Marinade chicken with the given ingredients for at least 2 hrs. The flavor has to get into the chicken.

2.      In Large cooking vessel take thrice the amount of water of the rice and heat. When its just heated enough add the  ingredients mentioned in the  “spices for boiling rice”

3.      When the water is boiling add the rice . When the rice is cooked ¾ switch off and drain the excess warter. ( cooking time for basmathi rice is 7 minutes max)

4.      Now keep the completely drained rice a side.

5.      In a kadai. Heat oil.

6.      Add the pepper corns, Cardamom Seeds, Cinnamon Stick, Coves and then the Onions and green chilies.

7.      Fry the onion till golden brown,

8.      Add the Mint leaves and fry for two to 3 minutes.

9.      Add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes.

10.  Add the tomatoes and cook well.

11.  Now add the marinated chicken  and cook for about 5 minutes.

12.  At this stage if you feel you will need more spice you can add a spoon of chili powder and coriander powder.

13.  Add just enough water for the chicken to cook well.

14.  Adding curd during marinating will make the chicken tender.

15.  When chicken is half cooked , add enough salt. Remember to add enough salt keeping in mind the rice.

16.  When the chicken is fully cooked . it should be a semi gravy type.

17.  If you feel there is the gravy is very watery leave the chicken on flame for few more minutes.

18.  When its in a thick gravy state it should be the right stage to mix with the rice.

Rice Mixing method.

1.      Take a wide vessel. Or even a 5 liter cooker would do.

2.      Now add a layer of the gravy and few chicken pieces.

3.      A layer of the cooked rice.

4.      And sprinkle little lime juice . If necessary u can sprinkle colored water ( keseri powder + water)  or add saffron. This will jus give it a richer look.

5.      Now above the rice layer add another layer of gravy.

6.      Repeat the process till all the gravy and rice are used.

7.      Now close it with a thick plate.

Dhum Process :

1.      Once the container is closed with a thick plate, take some chapathi dough.

2.      Seal the sides of the vessel and the plate together through out. This will keep the vapor inside and allow the rice and gravy to set well.

3.      Now Place a Dosa tawa on the stove and heat.

4.      Place the briyani dhum vessel over the tawa. Keep the flame very low.

5.      Add little water on the tawa to keep the warmth on to the briyani vessel.

6.      This should be there on flame for 15 to 20 mins.

7.      Once the flame is put off leave it like that for about 10 minutes till the pressure inside subsidizes.

8.      Open and now mix well without breaking the rice particles.

9.      BRIYANI READY!!!!!!!!!!! J