Kolkata mutton biryani

Bong Eats’ Kolkata mutton biryani combines large pieces of mutton, whole starchy potatoes and aged basmati rice. Its selected preparation uses home-fried birista, a complete eleven-spice blend and the same strained cooking broth returned during assembly.

The potatoes are peeled, lightly coloured with yellow food colour and fried in vegetable oil, then drained and held aside. Sliced onions are fried in the same oil and divided for the marinade and layers. Green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, shahi jeera, kabab chini, fennel seeds and whole white and black pepper are toasted together, stirred continuously and ground.

Ginger and garlic are peeled, chopped and crushed. Yogurt, this paste, birista, kewra water, the spice blend, red chilli powder, salt and ground pepper form the marinade, which is massaged into the mutton and covered. The rice is washed, soaked in water and drained. Fried potatoes and the marinated mutton are pressure-cooked with water; the cooked pieces are held in separate dishes and the remaining liquid is strained as yakhni.

Green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and bay leaves are tied in cheesecloth with twine and boiled in salted rice water. A ghee-greased dum pan is lined with bay leaves, then mutton, potatoes, dried plums, birista and the selected optional rose petals. Part of the spice blend and khoya, followed by the reserved yakhni and lime juice, are added. The spice bag is removed and the rice partially cooked, then strained into the pan a ladle at a time.

The first rice layer receives the remaining spice blend and khoya, plus saffron and yellow colour mixed in warm milk. The remaining rice is flattened above it and topped with milk mixed with rose water, kewra and meetha attar, and ghee melted together with butter. Heavy-duty aluminium foil and a tight lid seal the pan for dum cooking, followed by a rest before serving.