Mutton Biryani

Name: Mutton Biryani
Prep time: 160 min
Cook time: 43 min
Total time: 203 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 700 g mutton (bone-in), cut into pieces; 1 cup (240 g) yoghurt; 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 tsp Kolhapuri masala (freshly ground — see recipe 42 for masala details); 1 tsp red chilli powder; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp fried onion (barista), crushed; 2 cups (400 g) aged basmati rice, washed and soaked 30 min; 2 litres water + whole spices + generous salt — parboil to 70%; 3 tbsp ghee; 3 large onions, fried deep golden (barista); Saffron in 3 tbsp warm milk; Fresh mint and coriander; Kolhapuri mutton biryani rice takes on a dark, rust-red hue from the Kolhapuri masala — this is correct and beautiful; Mutton must be 75% pre-cooked before layering — it finishes in the dum; under-cooked mutton will be tough in the final biryani; Kolhapuri biryani is notably drier and more intensely flavoured than Hyderabadi — less saffron, more chilli and coconut masala

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Hard

Kolhapur's bold, spiced mutton biryani — using Kolhapuri masala rather than Mughal-style spicing, giving it a distinctive dark-red, intensely fragrant character unlike any other biryani in India. Cooked dum-style with layers of mutton and rice.

⏱️160 minPrep

🔥43 minCook

🕒203 minTotal

🍽️6Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Mutton Biryani

Marinate mutton (No heat): Coat mutton with all marinade ingredients. Marinate 2 hours minimum.
Parboil rice (Heat: high): Parboil to 70% as described in recipe 51 (Pune biryani). Drain.
Layer (No heat): Even layer of mutton and its masala in the bottom. Par-cooked rice layered on top. Barista, mint, coriander, saffron milk scattered over. Remaining ghee drizzled.
Dum cook (Heat: high → minimum): Seal pot with flour dough and lid. 3 minutes on high heat, then 30 minutes on absolute minimum heat. Rest 10 minutes. Break seal tableside.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 620 kcal | 40 g | 62 g | 22 g | 3 g | Kolhapuri biryani is less famous internationally than Hyderabadi, but equally special in its own culinary context. The use of Kolhapuri masala — with stone flower and dark-roasted coconut — in a biryani is unique to this region. Kolhapuri biryani is served at all major family celebrations — weddings, Eid, and annual community feasts — and is considered the peak of Kolhapuri festive cooking. ---

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