Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Method

Marinate mutton for 4-8 hrs.

Soak rice for half an hour.

Heat water in a separate vessel along with oil, salt  and whole spices for partial cooking of rice.

When the water starts boiling, add rice & cook for 5 minutes so that it gets cooked to 50%.

Drain the rice in a colander and then transfer it over the mutton in two layers.

After the layering is done, seal the degchi/cooker and put it over direct high heat (highest temperature) for 10 minutes.

Then take a flat dosa tawa and put the degchi over it. Put the tawa now over direct high heat for 5 minutes.

Then reduce heat to lowest & cook slowly for another 45 minutes on tawa.

By this time fragrance of biryani starts wafting in your kitchen.

Turn off the heat, wait for 5-10 minutes, open the lid, garnish with chopped mint, coriander leaves, fried onion & serve hot with raita.

Note:  For chicken, everything is same except the marination time is 1-3 hours. Cook for 10 minutes on direct high heat  and then cook on lower heat for 30 minutes on tawa.

During the high heat phase of cooking, the meat releases its moisture, then in low heat phase it absorbs spices, oil, salt & gets cooked.