Lamb Biryani

4.29 from 39 votes

Tender juicy lamb meat cooked in spices, caramelised onions and long grain basmati rice. This under an hour one pot lamb biryani is so luscious and flavorful, you won't say NO to it, you bet!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Marination Time2

Total Time2 40

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 841kcal

Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

For marination

750 grams Lamb on bone cut in medium sized chunks
2 teaspoons Ginger paste
2 teaspoons Garlic paste
½ cup Thick yogurt thick
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Other ingredients

5 tablespoons Oil or Ghee or a mix of both
2 Onions medium sized, sliced
2 Tomatoes medium sized, sliced
2 teaspoons Red Chilli powder
¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Coriander powder
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
2-3 Green Chilies slit or chopped
1½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
3 cups Water divided
3 cups Long grain basmati rice (600 gms)
¼ cup Birista or caramalised onions
Few strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk or water
3 tablespoons Mint leaves finely chopped
3 tablespoons Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste

Whole Spices

1½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
1½ inch Cinnamon stick
3-4 Green cardamom
2 Star Anise
4-5 Cloves
6-8 Black peppercorns

Instructions

Clean and wash the meat well. Strain the water completely and add it into a bowl.
Add ginger paste, garlic paste, curd, salt and lemon juice.
Mix well, cover and allow it marinate for at least an hour or two under refrigeration.
Once the meat is ready to cook. Clean wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Now, switch on the IP and place the steel insert.
On sautè mode, heat oil or ghee or a mix of both.
Add cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. Then add the remaining whole spices - bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns. Fry for few seconds.
Add sliced onions and sauté until soft and pink.
Then, add sliced tomatoes and sauté for a minute until soft.
Add marinated meat and sauté for 2 minutes.
Then, add Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, green chilies and garam masala powder. Sauté for a minute.
Add half cup of water and mix.
Close the pot with lid, sealing the pressure valve and manual/pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
Clean, wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Then strain and set it aside.
Once the IP beeps, allow the natural release of pressure for 5-7 minutes and then do quick release.
Top the cooked meat with caramelised onions or golden fried onions, saffron soaked, chopped mint and coriander leaves.
Layer the strained rice and spread evenly. Add remaining 2.5 cups of water from the sides and add salt to taste.
Cover the lid of the pot with valve in sealing position and manual/pressure cook on Low for 6 minutes.
After IP beeps, quick release the pressure, open the pot lid, cover the pot with IP glass lid or any fitting lid and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
Gently, fluff up the rice with fork or spatula. Dish out and serve with raita of your choice.

Notes

Modify the spices as per you preference. Increase or decrease the amount of chilies accordingly.
You can make this delicious one pot biryani using goat meat as well as beef chunks. Only the cooking time with beef will increase.
Ensure the rice is covered with water before you close the lid of the pot.
Before adding the rice, ensure to deglaze the pot to avoid 'Burn' signal.
This recipe was made using Instant Pot Duo60 6 qt. I prefer cooking rice recipes on low pressure as it avoids giving 'Burn' message when cooked on high pressure in newer IP models. Low pressure rice cooking gives me perfect cooked rice with every grain separated each time. You can follow the 'High' or 'Low' pressure cooking as per the model of IP you own.

Nutrition