Recipe for Jaya Aunties Mutton Biryani. A family recipe. A rich mutton biryani made with homemade masala paste, coconut milk and spices. Recipe with video.
I got this recipe from Nithya sometime back. Nithya is my sister in law Padma akka’s cousin. When she asked me if I wanted to try, I just jumped straight in. She had gotten this recipe from her aunt Jaya. She had told me that it was a long recipe when she sent me her precise instructions with pictures. There are close to about 30 ingredients that go into this biryani. This recipe is a keeper. Its a very rich biryani made with mutton, copious amounts of ghee, coconut milk, nut paste and all things good. My son loves mutton a lot and he approved the dish with much gusto on the very first bite. Its so good. Jaya auntie is Nithya’s dad’s childhood friends wife. When she told me that she was like her second mother, I knew how precious she was to her. No Diwali or a special occasion was celebrated in her place without Jaya aunties menu. She told me that Jaya aunties kitchen is spotless all the time and she keeps everything so organized. I am eagerly waiting to meet her sometime when I visit Coimbatore. Now, lets dive into this awesome mutton biryani recipe.
Here are some of the things you can buy online for making this recipe 5 liter Pressure Cooker Heavy Duty Indian Mixie Readymade Coconut Milk Basmati Rice 1 Basmati Rice 2
Here is the video of how to make Jaya Aunties Mutton Biryani with Coconut Milk
The masala paste This home made masala paste is what makes this dish a winner. The spices are a little extra when compared with a traditional Tamilnadu style biryani but it works so well in this recipe. I think cloves and mutton complement each other. The spices and the shallots, ginger and garlic is ground raw to a thick fine paste and added later. There is no need to dry roast the spices. Everything can be ground raw for this recipe.
Cooking Mutton Mutton is mixed with plain yogurt, turmeric powder and salt. Little water is added and cooked in a pressure cooker. Mutton with bone-in is preferred for biryani. Bone has a lot of flavour. So always cook mutton with bone-in while making biryani. I cook the mutton for 12 minutes in a pressure cooker and that works well. Ignore the number of whistles. I let the pressure settle before opening.
The quality of rice and mutton is very important while making biryani. I have mentioned the links of the brands I use above. The stock that comes from cooking mutton is full of flavour. We add that along while making the biryani.
There are a lot of ingredients that go into making this biryani. Get the prep work done and the mise en place in place. That’s the only way to go.
For Biryani Masala Paste
3 (1 inch piece) cinnamon – cassia 15 cloves 8 cardamom 1 small piece kal pasi (st one flower) 10 small Indian shallots 2 inch ginger, roughly chopped 1 whole pod garlic
For Coconut Milk
1/2 of a coconut 2.5 cups water
For Cooking Mutton
500 grams mutton (bone-in) 1/2 cup plain yogurt / curd – whisked 1 teaspoon rock salt 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 cup water
Cashew Almond Paste
4 cashews 4 almonds 1/4 cup water
Other Ingredients
500 grams basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee 1/4 cup groundnut oil (peanut oil) 1 bay leaf 1 maratti moggu 4 cloves 5 cardamom 1 star anise 3/4 cup onions, sliced 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 3/4 cup tomatoes 1 teaspoon rock salt 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 - 8 green chillies, slit into two 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped 1/2 of a lime, juiced
Biryani Masala Paste We will need to make a masala paste for this biryani. Take all the ingredients listed under masala paste to a small mixie jar and grind to a fine paste. Do not add any water while grinding. There is a lot of cloves that goes into the masala. Trust me. It works so well in this recipe.
Coconut Milk I recommend you go the extra mile to make your own coconut milk. The fresh taste of coconut milk cannot be beat. But having said that, if hard pressed for time, you can use canned coconut milk too. Use about 200 – 250 ml of canned coconut milk if not using fresh coconut milk.
Cooking Mutton Mutton is precooked in the pressure cooker. Add the mutton, plain curd, rock salt, turmeric powder and little water. Cook for about 12 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. Once the pressure settles, the mutton should be done. Remove the stock and mutton and set aside.
Rice Prep Wash the rice 2-3 times in water. Soak the rice in fresh water for 15-20 minutes. Do not soak for longer than that. After the said time, drain the rice and keep aside. I have used Daawat brand basmati rice.
Cashew Almond Paste Soak the cashew and almond in water for about 20 minutes. Grind them with 1/4 cup of water to a fine paste. Set aside.
Cooking the Biryani Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker. This is a very rich biryani and uses 1/4 cup each of ghee and oil. I have used peanut oil. If you want to go easy on the ghee or oil, you can reduce the amount.
Once the oil is hot, add in the dry spices and sauté for about 10 seconds. Add in the sliced onions and sauté till the onions are soft. Add in the red chilli powder and the ground masala paste. Cook for couple of minutes. Add in the tomatoes, chopped garlic, rock salt and the green chillies. Remember that we have already salted the mutton. So go easy on the salt. We can always adjust the seasoning later if need be.
The amount of green chillies you add in the biryani is totally up to you. Add according to your family’s preferences.
Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. It will take about 5-6 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, the mutton stock and water if necessary. We will need 1.5 cups liquid for every 1 cup of rice used. Let it come to a boil.
Add in the cooked mutton and the rice. Add in the cashew almond paste. Mix well. Add in the coriander leaves, mint leaves and the lime juice.
Close the pressure cooker and cook for 5-6 minutes. Let the pressure settle on its own. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and gently mix the biryani.
Enjoy!
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 45m
For Biryani Masala Paste
3 (1 inch piece) cinnamon – cassia 15 cloves 8 cardamom 1 small piece kal pasi (st one flower) 10 small Indian shallots 2 inch ginger, roughly chopped 1 whole pod garlic
For Coconut Milk
1/2 of a coconut 2.5 cups water
For Cooking Mutton
500 grams mutton (bone-in) 1/2 cup plain yogurt / curd – whisked 1 teaspoon rock salt 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 cup water
Cashew Almond Paste
4 cashews 4 almonds 1/4 cup water
Other Ingredients
500 grams basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee 1/4 cup groundnut oil (peanut oil) 1 bay leaf 1 maratti moggu 4 cloves 5 cardamom 1 star anise 3/4 cup onions, sliced 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 3/4 cup tomatoes 1 teaspoon rock salt 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 - 8 green chillies, slit into two 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped 1/2 of a lime, juiced
Biryani Masala Paste We will need to make a masala paste for this biryani. Take all the ingredients listed under masala paste to a small mixie jar and grind to a fine paste. Do not add any water while grinding. There is a lot of cloves that goes into the masala. Trust me. It works so well in this recipe.
Coconut Milk I recommend you go the extra mile to make your own coconut milk. The fresh taste of coconut milk cannot be beat. But having said that, if hard pressed for time, you can use canned coconut milk too. Use about 200 – 250 ml of canned coconut milk if not using fresh coconut milk.
Cooking Mutton Mutton is precooked in the pressure cooker. Add the mutton, plain curd, rock salt, turmeric powder and little water. Cook for about 12 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. Once the pressure settles, the mutton should be done. Remove the stock and mutton and set aside.
Rice Prep Wash the rice 2-3 times in water. Soak the rice in fresh water for 15-20 minutes. Do not soak for longer than that. After the said time, drain the rice and keep aside. I have used Daawat brand basmati rice.
Cashew Almond Paste Soak the cashew and almond in water for about 20 minutes. Grind them with 1/4 cup of water to a fine paste. Set aside.
Cooking the Biryani Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker. This is a very rich biryani and uses 1/4 cup each of ghee and oil. I have used peanut oil. If you want to go easy on the ghee or oil, you can reduce the amount.
Once the oil is hot, add in the dry spices and sauté for about 10 seconds. Add in the sliced onions and sauté till the onions are soft. Add in the red chilli powder and the ground masala paste. Cook for couple of minutes. Add in the tomatoes, chopped garlic, rock salt and the green chillies. Remember that we have already salted the mutton. So go easy on the salt. We can always adjust the seasoning later if need be.
The amount of green chillies you add in the biryani is totally up to you. Add according to your family’s preferences.
Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. It will take about 5-6 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, the mutton stock and water if necessary. We will need 1.5 cups liquid for every 1 cup of rice used. Let it come to a boil.
Add in the cooked mutton and the rice. Add in the cashew almond paste. Mix well. Add in the coriander leaves, mint leaves and the lime juice.
Close the pressure cooker and cook for 5-6 minutes. Let the pressure settle on its own. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and gently mix the biryani.
Enjoy!
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 45m
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/mutton-biryani-with-coconut-milk/
Here is the video of how to make suraikai thattapayaru kuzhambu – bottlegourd cowpea curry. சுரைக்காய் தட்டைப்பயறு குழம்பு. Recipe with video.
Thatta payiru / cowpea or black eyed pea is an ingredient very common in the Kongunadu region. Lentils like horse gram, green gram and black eyed pea is predominantly used everyday in regions around Coimbatore (Kongunadu). Cowpea is perfect for cultivation in poor dry conditions and it makes it an important crop for arid and dry regions where many other crops fail to grow. A seed can consist upto 25% protein making it a very important grain in the region. Its also a rich source of folic acid.
This is a Kongunadu special curry recipe that is served for lunch with rice. The secret to this creamy kuzhambu – a little bit of cooked cowpea is ground and added along. This makes the kuzhambu very rich and velvety.
Here are some of the things you can buy online for making this recipe Thaalippu Vadagam Kuzhambu Milagai Powder Thattapayaru Black Clay Pot Heavy Duty Indian Mixie Wooden Chopping Board Coconut Opener
Here is the video of how to make சுரைக்காய் தட்டைப்பயறு குழம்பு | Bottlegourd Cowpea Curry | Kongunadu Special Lunch Recipe Served With Rice
For Cooking Cowpea
1/2 cup thattapayaru – cowpea 1/2 teaspoon rocksalt 1.5 cups water to cook thattapayaru
For Masala Paste
2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds 10 cloves country garlic 15 Indian shallots – small onions 1 sprig curry leaves 2 country tomatoes 1 teaspoon rock salt 3/4 cup fresh shredded coconut 1 ladle cooked cowpea*** 1 cup water to grind
Prepping Tamarind
1 small lime sized tamarind 1 cup hot water
Other Ingredients
3 tablespoon Indian Sesame Oil (divided) 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 tablespoon dry thaalippu vadagam 3 dried red chillies 1 sprig curry leaves 15 Indian shallots – small onions 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 tablespoon kuzhambu milagai powder 2 tablespoon coriander powder 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida 1/2 teaspoon jaggery 1 cup water for cooking 1 medium sized bottle gourd
Cooking The Cowpea We will be using brown cowpea for this recipe. The white ones doesnt work well for this recipe. Wash and soak the cowpea for one hour. After soaking the cowpea for the said time, drain the water and add it to a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt and 1.5 cups of water to the cooker. Cover the cooker and cook for 4-5 whistles. It will take about 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure settle before opening.
Prepping Bottlegourd Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Cut the gourd into quarter and remove the soft seedy part in the middle. Discard the soft part. Dice the bottlegourd and set aside.
Prepping Tamarind Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Set aside.
Masala Paste Add sesame oil to a pan. Add in the cumin seeds and the fennel seeds. Add in the country garlic and the Indian shallots. If you cannot source country garlic (small garlic), you can use regular garlic. Add in the curry leaves. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the rock salt. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add in the coconut and the cooked cowpea. The cooked cowpea when ground will make for a velvety curry.
Grind the mixture to a fine paste. You can add little water while grinding. Make sure that the masala is ground to a fine paste.
Making The Curry Heat 2 tablespoon of Indian sesame oil in a clay pot. Add in the fenugreek seeds, vadagam, and dried red chillies. Add in the curry leaves. Add in the Indian shallots and sauté everything for couple of minutes. If you cannot source vadagam, just add half a teaspoon of mustard seeds and proceed with the recipe. But vadagam gives a fantastic aroma and taste to the kuzhambu. You can source them easily online and I have provided the links for the same above.
Add in the turmeric powder, Kuzhambu milagai powder, coriander powder and asafoetida. Roast the dry masalas for a few seconds. Do not roast for long as the masalas will burn.
Add in the tamarind pulp to the pot. Add in the bottle gourd and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes till the bottle gourd is cooked tender. Feel free to add little water mid way while the bottle gourd is cooking. Add upto a cup of water for cooking the bottle gourd.
Add in the ground masala. Wash the mixie with a cup of water and add it back to the pot. Add jaggery. Cover the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for five minutes.
Finally finish the curry by adding a tablespoon of Indian sesame oil. Serve hot with rice.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 60m
- Cook Time: 30m
