Shahi Biryani Recipe – Neelofar ka Shahi Dastarkhwan

1Soak Rice in Water: Wash rice very well and soak it in water for 2 hrs. (Remember: Soaking rice without wash may break rice. Check your rice must have Golden Sella Basmati Rice.)

2Soak Garam Masala: Soak 2 cinnamon sticks, 8-12 cloves, 10-15 black-pepper, 5 green cardamom and 1 black cardamom  in 1 tsp water (little crushed cardamoms before soaking).
Green Chilli Paste: Add 100 gram green chili and 1tsp cumin seeds (zeera) in a grinder jar and grind it medium.
Biryani Masala Powder: Make a powder by grinding 1 nutmeg (Jaiphal), 5 mace (Javatri) and 10 green cardamom.

3Fry Onion: Put 150ml oil and 150g ghee in a frying pan and turn on the stove and heat the oil. Put the soaked garam masala in the oil and cover it with a lid for 10 to 20 seconds so that its masala gets absorbed well in the oil. Now add 400 grams of thin slice onion and fry it as soon as its color becomes golden brown, then fry the optional dry fruits in it and quickly take out the fried onion in a plate and spread it. Keep in mind that onion burns very quickly.

4Add 4 tsp garlic and ginger paste to the remaining oil and fry it for a while. Put 1.25 kg mutton in the pan and add salt according to the taste and fry for 2 minutes.
Now transfer the fried mutton to the pressure cooker and add 100 ml of water, put it in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Now add 200 grams yogurt and green chili and cumin paste and fry the spices on medium flame till the remaining water gets dry.
Switch off the flame and add 1 tsp of gram masala powder and add 150 gm mawa and mix it well.

5Put 3 to 4 liters of water in a large container on the stove to boil. Take a cotton cloth 10 inch by 10 inch for the spice bundle and add in it a medium size ginger, some 10 to 12 cloves of garlic, 1 medium size onion cut 1/4, 2 tea spoon fennel and 2 tea spoon coriander and tie the cloth. Put the bundle of masala in boiling water and also add 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, 3 cinnamon sticks, 5 to 7 cloves, 8 to 10 black peppers and 5 green cardamoms and add strong salt (recommended strong salt in water). After boiling the water well, put the soaked rice in the water and boil for 13 to 15 minutes then drain the remaining water.

6 Layering of Biryan: In a large container, first put a layer of boiled rice, then a layer of half mutton, then sprinkle 1 pinch of biryani masala, then apply a layer of boiled rice, then put a layer of fried onions and dry fruits, then sprinkle a pinch of biryani masala, then layer of boiled rice, then apply the remaining mutton layer, then sprinkle a pinch of biryani masala and then apply a layer of boiled rice. Heat 200ml milk with 2tsp of ghee and pour it on top. Sprinkle 1tsp kewra water. Dissolve 1 pinch of zafrani food color in 1tsp of water and add on top. Cover the container with the lid and keep it for 20 to 30 minutes on medium to slow flame.
Layering form:

• Rice
• Half Mutton
• Biryani Masala
• Rice
• Fried Onion
• Biryani Masala
• Rice
• Mutton
• Biryani Masala
• Rice