Ambur Mutton Biryani | Mutton Biryani | Startup Cooking

 AMBUR MUTTON BIRYANI | MUTTON BIRYANI | STARTUP COOKING

Ambur mutton biryani is a famous biryani recipe popularly known as Ambur star biryani, in which mutton pieces are cooked tenderly with minimal spices.  Ambur is a small town in vellore district of Tamil Nadu. This mutton biryani is very popular from a hotel name called 'star hotel'. This biryani is popularly called as 'Star Biryani" recipe.

Ambur Mutton Biryani is traditionally made with Seeraga Samba rice (short grained rice) or jeeraga samba rice or known as jeera rice. This rice is very traditional rice variety grown in India and most widely used in South India. Its popularly called as Biryani rice due to its aroma and tiny grain. This rice is also popular in West Bengal where its known as Gobindobhog rice. 

Seeraga Samba rice is most expensive rice when compared to basmati rice and other normal rice. It is approximately a one third size of a grain of basmati rice. It has unique flavor, aroma and taste when we make as Biryani. The grain itself is much harder than the other varieties and when cooked is less 'fluffy' in texture so gives a more filling meal and it has a distinct taste and having more starch. 

Why Ambur Mutton Biryani is Unique ? There are 3 ingredients, Garam Masala powder, Green chillies and Ghee, they never be used for making biryani. Seeraga Samba rice is the only traditional rice used for making Ambur mutton biryani. They use only wood fire to cook this Ambur mutton biryani and they use dum method of cooking. Ambur biryani does not require many spices like Hyderabadi biryani, here the main ingredient is the 'Red Chilli Paste' which gives nice color and spice level.  

Serve Ambur mutton biryani with Bagara Baingan and onion raitha. Follow my step by step photo recipe to prepare Ambur mutton biryani. If you like this recipe, share it, tweet it and pin it. Please do try and post your comments.

RECIPE FOR AMBUR MUTTON BIRYANI

Coarse        : Lunch

Cuisine       : South India

Author        : Jayashree Karthik

Prep Time   : 15 min

Cook Time  : 1 hr

Total Time   : 1 hr 15 min

INGREDIENTS

For Marinate and Cook Mutton

• 1 pound mutton

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt or rock salt

• 1/2 cup yogurt

• 3.5 cup water

For Biryani

• 2 cup Seeraga Samba rice

• 5 tbsp oil

• 5 cloves

• 3 inch cinnamon stick

• 3 cardamom pods

• 1 bay leaf

• 1.5 cup onion - thinly sliced

• 1 cup tomato - chopped

• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1/2 cup mint leaves

• 1/2 cup coriander leaves

• 6 red chilli

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• salt to taste

• 2 tbsp coriander leaves - for garnish

PROCEDURE

• in a mixing bowl, add cleaned mutton pieces along with bone and fat

• add turmeric powder, salt and yogurt

• marinate well and rest for 1-2 hour

• soak Seeraga Samba rice in enough water for 30 minutes

• soak red chillies in little hot water for 10 minutes and then grind to a smooth paste, keep aside

• transfer the marinated mutton along with 3.5 cup water in to the pressure cooker

• pressure cook for 3-5 whistle

• once the pressure subsides naturally, open the cooker and keep aside

• heat oil in another pressure cooker

• add cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaf

• saute for few seconds

• add thinly sliced onion

• saute well until it turns transparent

• add ginger garlic paste

• saute well until the raw smell goes

• add chopped tomato, mint leaves and coriander leaves

• saute well until the tomatoes turn mushy

• add red chili paste

• mix and cook well until the oil separates from the gravy

• once the oil starts to separate from the gravy, add cooked mutton along with the mutton stock

• mix well

• bring the mutton stock to boil

• once the mutton stock starts to boil, add soaked rice, salt and lemon juice

• mix well

• cook on high flame until the rice drinks 70% of the liquid

• now reduce the flame to low, then close with lid, put weight on

• cook on low flame for 15 minutes

• then switch off the flame

• let the biryani rest for 15 minutes

• now open the cooker

• fluff the rice with ladle

• garnish with coriander leaves

• serve Ambur mutton biryani with bagara baingan and raitha

• Taste Delicious 😋 

NOTES

1. for Ambur mutton biryani, they don't use any kind of saffron or food color, they use only the red chilli paste for maximum color
2. they don't use ghee or butter or green chillies or Garam Masala powder
3. they use only the rock salt or kosher salt for marinate the mutton
4. soak Seeraga Samba rice in water before starts to cook for better results
5. Ambur Biryani looks little soft and not grainy
6. To cook Seeraga Samba rice: 2 cup rice = 3.5 cup water and 1/2 cup yogurt

Ambur Mutton Biryani with Step by Step 

Photo Recipe

take cleaned mutton pieces in a bowl

add turmeric powder, salt and yogurt

mix well and rest for 2 hour

soak Seeraga Samba rice in water for 30 minutes

soak red chillies in hot water for 10 minutes

grind to a smooth paste

take marinated mutton in a pressure cooker

add 3.5 cup water and mix well

pressure cook for 3-5 whistle

mutton pieces cooked well and keep aside with their stock

heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods 

and bay leaf, saute for few seconds

add thinly sliced onion

saute well until it turns translucent

add ginger garlic paste

saute well until the raw smell goes

add chopped tomato, mint and coriander leaves

saute well until it turns mushy

add red chilli paste and mix well

cook on medium flame until the oil separates from the masala

add cooked mutton pieces along with the stock

add salt

add lemon juice

drain the water and add soaked rice

mix well

cook on high flame until the rice drinks 70% of the liquid

close with lid and put weight on, cook on very low flame for 20 minutes, switch off the flame, then rest the pressure pan for 15 minutes

Ambur mutton biryani ready

gently fluff the rice with the ladle

Ambur mutton biryani

garnish with coriander leaves, taste delicious, serve hot with onion raitha or Bagara baingan