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Authentic Hyderabadi

Mutton Dum Biryani

Slow-cooked pressure cooker biryani — rich, layered & aromatic

1 kg Mutton Dawat Basmati 10 Whistles Dum 10 min Serves 3–4
Ingredients

Main

Mutton1 kg
Basmati rice (Dawat)1 cup / person
Tomatoes (purée)5 small / 3 big
Brown onionsas needed
Cooking oil2 sprays + extra
Milka little

Spices & Paste

Ginger garlic pastehomemade
Saltto taste
Chilli powderto taste
Garam masalato taste
Biryani spice mixto taste
Dry red chillies3–4
Turmerica pinch
Method
1

Soak the rice

Rinse Dawat basmati rice and soak in cold water for 30 minutes before cooking. This ensures each grain cooks evenly and stays long and separate.

2

Marinate the mutton

Combine mutton with 2 sprays of oil, homemade ginger garlic paste, and 70% of your salt, chilli powder, and garam masala. Mix well and set aside.

Frozen mutton: Marinate and rest 2–3 hours for better tenderness. Fresh mutton: Cook directly without marination.
3

Pressure cook the mutton

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the marinated mutton and cook on 10 whistles over low–medium heat.

For richer flavour, add more oil to the cooker — mutton tastes significantly better with a generous amount.
4

Rest the cooker — critical

Turn off the stove. Do not remove the whistle or open the lid immediately. Wait 15 minutes for the pressure to fully release on its own, then open.

Do NOT force-release steam or open early. This resting step is essential for perfectly cooked mutton.
5

Parboil the rice to 70%

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add 5–6 spoons of salt. Once boiling, add biryani spice mix and 3–4 dry red chillies. Add soaked rice and cook on medium flame until 70% done — grains should still have a slight bite in the centre.

6

Add tomato purée to curry

Blend tomatoes into a smooth purée and add it to the cooked mutton in the cooker. Stir gently — the pieces will break apart if you mix too hard. Now add the remaining 30% of salt, chilli powder, and garam masala.

7

Layer the biryani

Spoon the 70% cooked rice directly on top of the mutton curry. Do not stir or mix anything. Scatter brown onions (readymade or homemade) generously over the rice.

8

Saffron milk finish

Mix a little milk with a pinch of turmeric until combined. Drizzle evenly over the top layer of rice. This gives the biryani its signature golden streaks and fragrance.

9

Dum cook — 10 minutes, low flame

Seal the cooker and place on the lowest possible flame for exactly 10 minutes. This dum steam cooks the rice to 100% and fuses all the flavours together.

Mandatory step. Do not skip, rush, or increase the heat.
10

Rest & serve

Turn off the stove. Do not lift the lid until all air has completely escaped on its own. Then open gently, fluff from the sides, and serve.