Radha Akka’S Mutton Biryani

Recipe for Tamilnadu style mutton biryani made in the pressure cooker. Easy recipe with biryani masala made from scratch. With step by step pictures.

Vinodh’s sister Shree Vidhya got married about an year and a half back. I still remember this chat that I had with her that time. It was an arranged marriage and one of the nice things about arranged marriages are the few lovely lovely days that leads from engagement to the wedding. Its so cute a scene to see the bride and the groom glued to their phones. Those are “love is in the air” days. We were chatting and I asked her what kind of food Krishna (our maaplai) liked? She told, Akka, he is a foodie. He likes Mutton Biryani. I asked, what else? Mutton Biryani was the answer again. So I understood that he was a biryani aficionado. After the wedding, Shree told that her MIL makes the most delicious Mutton Biryani. I met Shree’s MIL, Radha Akka at a function just a few days after the wedding and told her that I wanted to try her biryani. Sadly, we left to Hong Kong just a few days later after that. So the biryani had to wait. We visited them a few weeks back and got to try the legendary mutton biryani. Oh my! Oh my! every single morsel was so delicious. I sat with Radha Akka after lunch and I pestered her for the recipe. She was so sweet to share the recipe. So the secret of our family’s Maaplai Veetu biryani – here for you my lovely readers. Do try it at home. Happy marriages are made with biryani! Here is a picture of Shree with her MIL Radha Akka.

Biryani Masala The secret to this biryani is home made biryani masala made from scratch. Radha akka makes this masala powder in huge quantities and uses it in all her non-veg preparations. I have toned down the recipe. Here is what you will need.

Dry roast the ingredients in a low flame until fragrant and the poppy seeds are nice and brown. Note: If you are living in the middle east or any other country where you cannot source poppy seeds, just omit it from the recipe. I just learnt from one of my readers that having poppy seeds can land you in jail in those countries. Poppy seeds are treated as narcotics I believe.

Once the roasted ingredients are cool, grind to a fine powder. Set aside. I use my trusty Panasonic mixer for grinding masalas. It does a fine job for grinding masalas in small quantities.

Prep Work You will need to make two pastes. Ginger-garlic and small onion / shallot. (If you cannot get small onions, substitute shallot). Grind the ginger and garlic with few tablespoon of water to a smooth paste. Set aside. Grind the small onion / shallot to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Marinating the Mutton Add two teaspoon of the ground ginger garlic paste to the mutton. Add in the plain yogurt (curd) and salt. Let the meat marinate for 20-30 minutes. Note: If you want the meat to be very tender, add a teaspoon of ground raw papaya paste. This is an optional ingredient but it yields extremely tender meat when cooked. Do not add more as the meat will disintegrate.

The rice Radha akka was very particular that she uses only aged basmati rice for her biryani and she likes the brand Lal Qilla. We have used 600grams of mutton and 400ml of rice today. Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. Soaking the rice is the secret to a good fluffy biryani. The grains does not become a mush while cooking.

Cooking the biryani I have used a 5 liter pressure cooker for making the biryani today. You will need the following aromatics. Get them ready before you fire the stove.

Heat peanut oil and ghee in a pan until hot. Add in the aromatics.

Add in the sliced onions, slit green chillies and fry till the onions are well browned and caramelized. I have used around 6 green chillies today. If you want a spicy biryani, use upto 10 chillies.

Add in the chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry for a minute.

Add in the remainder of the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the small onion / shallot paste and fry for a couple of minutes more until the mixture is dry.

Add in the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for a minute.

Add in our homemade freshly ground biryani masala. Fry for a minute.

Add in the marinated mutton. Saute well for a couple of minutes so the masalas coat the meat evenly.

Add in half a cup of water. Remember that I have not added any salt to the pan. We have already marinated the mutton with salt.

Cover the pan and pressure cook for 5 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker and taste the mutton . If the mutton is under done or not tender, cook for 2-4 more whistles.

Remove the meat from the pan and measure the gravy/sauce remaining. I had about 400ml of gravy.

The water ratio We will be using 1 rice : 2 water/liquid for this biryani. Add the meat back to the pan and add in the required water. We have used 400ml rice. So we will need 800ml water/liquid. As I already had 400ml of gravy liquid, I have added just 400 ml of water. Be cautious on water + gravy measurement. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add in the soaked and drained rice. Add in the remaining salt. Taste and adjust for the salt seasoning.

Cover with a lid/plate and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame till the rice has absorbed almost most of the liquid.

The biryani mixture should be half done but still be wet with visible liquid like the picture shown below.

At this stage, reduce the flame of the stove to a sim and cover the pan with the pressure cooker lid and cook for one whistle. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally.

Gently fluff up the biryani and serve hot!

Biryani heaven!

For the Biryani Masala

• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 3 Dry Red Chillies
• 1/2 inch piece Cinnamon
• 1 Clove

Prep Work for making paste

• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 12 small onions or 6 shallots

Marinating the mutton

• 600 grams mutton
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt / curd
• 1 teaspoon salt
• part of the ground ginger-garlic paste ( 2 teaspoon)

Aromatics

• 3 bay leaves
• 1 inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom

Other Ingredients

• 400 ml aged basmati rice
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 3 onions, sliced (about 2 cups )
• 6 - 10 green chillies, slit
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1.5 teaspoon salt

1. Dry roast the ingredients for the biryani masala until brown and fragrant. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. Grind the ginger-garlic paste and small onion / shallot paste. Set aside.
3. Marinate the mutton with two teaspoon of ground ginger garlic paste, salt and yogurt. Set aside.
4. Heat peanut oil and ghee in a pan until hot. Add in the aromatics.
5. Add in the onions and green chillies and fry till brown and caramelized.
6. Add in the chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry for a minute.
7. Add in the remainder of the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the small onion / shallot paste and fry for a couple of minutes more until the mixture is dry.
8. Add in the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for a minute. Add in the freshly ground biryani masala. Fry for a minute more.
9. Add in the marinated mutton. Saute well for a couple of minutes so the masalas coat the meat evenly.
10. Add in half a cup of water. Cover the pan and pressure cook for 5 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally.
11. Remove the meat from the pan and measure the gravy/sauce remaining.
12. Add the meat back to the pan and add in the required water. We have used 400ml rice. So we will need 800ml water/liquid. Include the gravy along for liquid measurement. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add in the soaked and drained rice. Add in the remaining salt.
13. Cover with a lid/plate and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame till the rice has absorbed almost most of the liquid.
14. At this stage, reduce the flame of the stove to a sim and cover the pan with the pressure cooker lid and cook for one whistle. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally.
15. Fluff up the biryani and serve hot!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Biryani
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the Biryani Masala

• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 3 Dry Red Chillies
• 1/2 inch piece Cinnamon
• 1 Clove

Prep Work for making paste

• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 12 small onions or 6 shallots

Marinating the mutton

• 600 grams mutton
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt / curd
• 1 teaspoon salt
• part of the ground ginger-garlic paste ( 2 teaspoon)

Aromatics

• 3 bay leaves
• 1 inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom

Other Ingredients

• 400 ml aged basmati rice
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 3 onions, sliced (about 2 cups )
• 6 - 10 green chillies, slit
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1.5 teaspoon salt

1. Dry roast the ingredients for the biryani masala until brown and fragrant. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. Grind the ginger-garlic paste and small onion / shallot paste. Set aside.
3. Marinate the mutton with two teaspoon of ground ginger garlic paste, salt and yogurt. Set aside.
4. Heat peanut oil and ghee in a pan until hot. Add in the aromatics.
5. Add in the onions and green chillies and fry till brown and caramelized.
6. Add in the chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry for a minute.
7. Add in the remainder of the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the small onion / shallot paste and fry for a couple of minutes more until the mixture is dry.
8. Add in the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for a minute. Add in the freshly ground biryani masala. Fry for a minute more.
9. Add in the marinated mutton. Saute well for a couple of minutes so the masalas coat the meat evenly.
10. Add in half a cup of water. Cover the pan and pressure cook for 5 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally.
11. Remove the meat from the pan and measure the gravy/sauce remaining.
12. Add the meat back to the pan and add in the required water. We have used 400ml rice. So we will need 800ml water/liquid. Include the gravy along for liquid measurement. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add in the soaked and drained rice. Add in the remaining salt.
13. Cover with a lid/plate and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame till the rice has absorbed almost most of the liquid.
14. At this stage, reduce the flame of the stove to a sim and cover the pan with the pressure cooker lid and cook for one whistle. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release naturally.
15. Fluff up the biryani and serve hot!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Biryani
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/tamil-mutton-biryani-recipe/

Recipe for sprouted horsegram curry. Karnataka style Horsegram Masala Saaru made with home made masala from scratch. With step by step pictures and video.

My husband loves sprouted lentil curries. This Sprouted Horse Gram Curry dish came into our lives about a couple of years back. I had gone to Coimbatore for some work on a weekend. My husband was working that weekend. My cousin brother Gokul and his wife Maithra were staying at Maithra’s mom’s place for the weekend and it happened to be close to my husbands work place. Gokul had come to meet my husband. Maithra had sent some lunch along too. The lunch was his favorite Ragi Mudde and this sprouted horse gram curry. He so loved the curry, he called me to tell me that I was missing a superb lunch. We have had this curry on several occasions prepared by Maithra. But I managed to get the recipe only recently. Gokul has a baby daughter now and his culinary skills are developing by leaps and bounds everyday, thanks to her. I will tell you a story that happened about a decade ago. Gokul was a bachelor then. He had just moved out of Coimbatore fresh out of college and on a job. He wanted me to teach him a few basic recipes so he could manage when needed. My first recipe project was to teach him how to scramble eggs. I gave him a bowl and an egg and asked him to break the egg onto the bowl. He took the egg and smashed it on the counter (Imagine a persons hand action in a temple when they break a coconut). The egg splashed onto the counter, on the back-splash and on the floor. I froze. I have never asked anyone to break eggs for me after that. Believe me, I am not making up this story. He was in a boarding school all his life and he did not know a thing about the kitchen then. 10 years plus later, this man can make awesome fish fry and biryani for his daughter today. He is the reason I believe in miracles. I am so proud of him and, Maithra for being there for him everyday.

Here are some of the recipes made using horse gram / kollu. Please click on the link below to view the recipes Horsegram Recipes / Kollu Recipes

Here are some of the things that will be helpful for making this sprouted horsegram curry recipe Click on the links below to buy them online. Teakwood Chopping Board Carbon Steel Knife High-End Nakiri Knife Saute / Fry Pan Glass Mixing Bowls (500 ml) Indian Mixie 5 Liter Pressure Pan – Deep Pan (Stainless Steel) Pink Salt Ceylon Cinnamon Byadagi Red Chillies (Karnataka Chillies)

Here is the video of how to do sprouted horse gram curry. Mulai Kattiya Kollu Kuzhambu | How to make Sprouted Horse Gram Curry

Here is how to do sprouted horse gram curry. They call it as Masale saaru at Maithra’s place. How to Sprout horse gram It is very easy to sprout lentils at home. I have already shared the recipe for sprouting moong dal / moong bean here below. The same recipe can be followed for sprouting horse gram too!

https://www.kannammacooks.com/sprout-moong-mung-beans-moong-sprout/

For making masala paste for Sprouted Horse Gram Curry: Heat few drops of oil in a skillet and add in cloves, cinnamon, byadagi red chillies and raw rice. Byadagi red chillies impart a very nice colour to the Sprouted Horse Gram Curry / gravy. You can use regular chillies too if you do not have byadagi! Roast until the rice is nice and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, saute onions, ginger and garlic for a couple of minutes. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Along with the roasted ingredients, get the other ingredients ready for grinding. We will be making a masala paste.

Grind everything in a mixie with a cup of water to a very fine paste. Set aside. The Sprouted Horse Gram Curry masala paste is ready.

Note: The tomatoes, coconut and coriander are ground along raw.

Take a pressure cooker pan (I have used my 5 liter pressure pan today) and heat oil in the pan. Add in the star anise, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Add in the sliced onions and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add in the coriander powder and saute for a few seconds.

Add in the sprouted horse gram and the masala paste.

Add in two cups of water and the salt. Mix well.

Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and let it cook for 15 whistles. Around 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle naturally. Serve Sprouted Horse Gram Curry hot with rice or roti.

Masala Paste for Sprouted Horse Gram Curry

• few drops of oil
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 4 red chillies
• 1 tablespoon raw rice
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 tomato, roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut

Other Ingredients for Sprouted Horse Gram Curry

• 2 cups sprouted horse gram lentil
• 2 teaspoon sesame / gingely oil
• 1/2 a star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

For making masala paste for Sprouted Horse Gram Curry:

1. Heat few drops of oil in a skillet and add in cloves, cinnamon, byadagi red chillies and raw rice. Roast until the rice is nice and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, saute onions, ginger and garlic for a couple of minutes. Set aside on a plate to cool.
2. Along with the roasted ingredients, add the other ingredients for masala paste and grind with a cup of water to a very fine paste.

Cooking the Sprouted Horse Gram Curry

1. Take a pressure cooker pan and heat oil in the pan. Add in the star anise, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Add in the sliced onions and saute for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in the coriander powder and saute for a few seconds.
3. Add in the sprouted horse gram and the masala paste.
4. Add in two cups of water and the salt.
5. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and let it cook for 15 whistles. Around 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle naturally. Serve hot with rice or roti.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Curry
• Cuisine: Karnataka