Awadhi Mutton Biryani

Awadhi Mutton Biryani
Ingredients
For garam masala:
1 cinnamon stick
8  cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp pepper corns
1 star anise
2 mace
2 brown cardamom
2 green cardamom

Method
For garam masala:
Dry roast all the ingredients. Grind them in a masala grinder.

For marinating the mutton
Ingredients
1kg mutton
1/2 cup curd
2-3 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp Cashew nut paste
Garam masala powder made at home
Salt to taste

Method
For mutton marination:
Take the mutton and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Then add cashew nut paste, garam masala powder , curd and mix  it. Cover it and keep it aside for 1 hour.

For cooking the rice
Ingredients
1 kg basmati rice
salt to taste
Method
Wash and soak the rice in water for 1/2 an hour. Add the salt and cook the rice till done. It rice should be cooked 75 %  and the rest will cook in dum.

For cooking the biryani
Ingredients
Marinated mutton
Cooked rice
1 cups milk
4 tbsp ghee
2 onions sliced and browned
Saffron
1/2 tsp  Kewar and rose essence
Mint and Coriander leaves  chopped for garnishing

Method
Add 3 tbsp ghee in the handi. Transfer the marinated meat from the bowl to the handi.Now stir and cook the meat for a few minutes.
Cover with the lid and simmer the meat  till done.
Now take another handi and  layer the mutton with cooked rice and then again with mutton and cooked rice. Now take milk, saffron, 1 tbsp ghee and the essence. And warm it up a bit. Spread  the milk on top of the last
layered rice. Garnish it with mint, coriander and brown onions.
Cover the handi with the lid and weight it down with something heavy. Keep the flame low.
Cook for about half an hour. Serve it hot with salad.