Mutton Biryani- Easy method using Pressure Cooker

My Hubby loves Biryani so much. So I make biryani often at home. He prefers Biryani, boiled egg and raitha combo. I  usually make Mutton Biryani, in the pressure cooker, since mutton is little tough to cook.  It may not be the most authentic way to prepare biryani, but it is very easy to make and does taste very good. It is a delicious one pot meal and it is less time consuming.

Mutton Biryani using Pressure Cooker

What are the ingredients needed?

To marinate

Mutton- 1 lb

Yogurt, 2 Tbs

Lemon juice, 2 Tbs

Garam masala, 1 tsp
Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp

Salt, 1/2 tsp

Other ingredients needed

Basmati rice, 2 cups

Oil, 2 Tbs

Fennel seeds,  1 Tsp

Cloves, 3-4 nos

Cinnamon, 1-2" long

Cardamom, 4-5 nos

Bay leaves, 2 nos.

Onion(chopped), 1 no

Green chillies, 2 nos.

Tomato, 1 large no

Ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp

Red chilli powder, 1 tsp

Coriander powder, 2 tsp

Mint leaves, a handful

Cilantro, a handful

Salt to taste.

Water, 3 cups

Mutton Biryani

How it is made?

1. Marinate the mutton with yogurt, lime juice, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt for 30 minutes.
2. Wash and Soak Basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves and fry for 2 minutes then add the slit green chillies and onions and saute till onions turn translucent.
4. Then add chopped tomato, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, and coriander powder and cook till tomatoes turn mushy.
5. Then add mint leaves, cilantro and marinated mutton , 1 cup water and pressure cook upto 3 whistles then wait till the pressure releases and add the soaked basmati rice and add required salt and water and  pressure cook again.
6. When the cooker whistles, remove from the heat and wait till the pressure releases. 
7. Gently fluff it up and serve with raitha. I served it with onion raitha.

Note:

• Yogurt and lemon juice acts a natural meat tenderiser. It will tenderise the meat.
• Lamb meat must be "almost" cooked before adding the rice. In my cooker I pressure cook in medium flame for 6-7 minutes sometimes more i.e., till I get 3 whistles. Cooking time varies with pressure cooker to cooker. 
• After adding rice, I let the cooker give only one whistle and switch it off. Since the rice is already soaked, I didn't want the rice to turn mushy.