Slice ( thin) four large onions , sprinkle a little milk and keep it aside. This should be used for deep frying later , sprinkling milk will give a crispy texture to onions when frying ).
In a pressure cooker , put 1 tbsp ghee and slightly roast the whole spices. Slice the remaining 4 onions and add to this with a pinch of salt. Saute till the onions become translucent. Add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste to this and fry for a minute. Add green chillies.
Cut tomatoes to medium pieces , add this to the onions and saute till tomatoes become mushy.
Add turmeric powder , coriander powder and salt to taste.
Now add the thoroughly cleaned mutton pieces to this and saute well so that the masala binds well with the mutton.
Add 1 tsp ground pepper and mix well.
At this point simmer the stove , mutton will leave out water. Let it cook for sometime ( around 7 minutes) and afterwards add 1cup thick coconut milk to the mutton. Sprinkle a little ground spices , pudina and coriander leaves on top. Pressure cook this on simmer for about 4 whistles.
While the mutton is being pressure cooked, wash basmati rice and soak it in a little water.
Place a heavy bottom pan on the stove , add 1 tbspn ghee and roast cashew- raisins in that. After removing this, fry the thinly sliced onions ( sprinkled with milk) in the same ghee.( add more if required). Fry till crisp and remove.
Now drain the water from the rice, add rice to the leftover ghee, in the pan and fry for sometime till it becomes dry.
Now add 4.5 to 6 cups( depending on the type of rice ) of water and cook, continuosly stirring till the rice is 3/4th done.(open pan method ). Add a pinch of salt, also you can add whole spices to the water for aroma.
You have to be a little bit careful at this point as it should not be over cooked. Add 4.5 cups of water at first and if required , add the rest later.
By this time , the mutton should be ready and tenderly cooked.
The Dum part : Use a Dum Biriyani vessel if you have one otherwise use a pressure cooker for layering your biriyani.
The layers follow this way : A big Ladle of Mutton with gravy 2 Big ladles of rice a pinch of ground spices. fried onions cashew raisins a little saffron milk Again mutton with gravy, and the layers should follow in the order till these are finished.
Now place this cooker on the stove with whistles on and let this simmer for 15 minutes. Also if you have a pan ( the kind u use for making dosas) , u can place the cooker on top of that and simmer for 30 minutes. This method is preferred to direct heating.
Your Yummylicious Mutton Dum Biriyani is ready. Serve this with Raitha , Papad and Pickle. :-) Thanks :-)
