As a Tamilian, I am so partial to biriyani made with the aromatic short grained seeraga samba rice. The rice soaks up the meat stock and spices so well that the end result is very flavorful. I tried this mutton biriyani during one of our travels. Chef Peter is a home cook at Tipperary estate and we loved his mutton biriyani. He uses green chillies alone for spicing up the biriyani. It was very different. He was happy to share the recipe and here it is.
Prep Work
Soak the seeraga samba rice in water. Set aside. Soak the rice when starting to cook. Let the rice soak for half an hour.
Cook the mutton in a pressure cooker with two cups of water and a teaspoon of salt for 20 minutes. Ignore the whistles. I like the mutton to be “fall of the bone” tender. So cook for a long time. Remove from heat and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
Note: I always salt the mutton while cooking. The mutton will be well seasoned and flavorful that way. Also always buy mutton with bone. Bone is so flavorful.
The important thing in this biriyani is the masala paste. Here is what you will need.
Grind all the ingredients for the masala paste with little water. Grind to a fine paste. Make sure that the paste is fine and not coarse. Set aside.
Making the biriyani
Take a heavy pan and add in the ghee and peanut oil. Chef Peter says that wood pressed peanut oil (மர செக்கு கடலெண்ணெய்) is the secret for his biriyani. Add in the sliced onions and the remaining salt. The salt helps in browning the onions quicker.
Saute till the onions are nicely brown and caramelized. It will take about 10 minutes.
Add in the masala paste and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes and the herbs (roughly chopped mint and coriander leaves). Saute for a couple of minutes.
Remove the mutton pieces and add in the mutton cooked water (mutton stock). Measure the stock and add it to the pan.
Add in half a cup of curd. Whisk the curd well so it does not form into lumps when added to the pan. Add in the water.
Note – For every cup of rice used, we need two cups of liquid. I have used two cups of rice today. So I need four cups of liquid. I had one cup of mutton stock. So I added that one cup of mutton stock and three cups of water (1 stock + 3 water = 4 liquid). Please also note that I have not included the curd for measurement.
Add in juice of half a lime and the cooked mutton with bone.
When it come to a boil, drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan.
Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame.
Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
The rice will be about 80% done. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.
After the rest, Enjoy Peter’s home style seeraga samba Biriyani!
Seeraga samba Mutton Biriyani
Tamil style spicy mutton biriyani made with seeraga samba rice, spice paste and green chillies
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
For the masala paste
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 7 cloves garlic (you may need more if you use small Indian garlic)
- 10 green chillies
- 1 teaspoon kalpasi
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
- 2 cardamom
- 1/2 of a star anise
- 2 clove
- 2 small piece mace (jadhi pathiri)
Other Ingredients
- 500 grams mutton with bone
- 500 ml seeraga samba rice
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 3 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 5 sprig mint leaves, chopped
- 5 sprig coriander leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup curd
- juice of half a lemon/lime
Instructions
Prep Work
- Soak the seeraga samba rice in water. Set aside. Soak the rice when starting to cook.
- Cook the mutton in a pressure cooker with two cups of water and a teaspoon of salt for 20 minutes.
- Grind all the ingredients for the masala paste with little water. Grind to a fine paste.
Making the biriyani
- Take a heavy pan and add in the ghee and peanut oil.
- Add in the sliced onions and remaining salt.
- Saute till the onions are nicely brown and caramelized.
- Add in the masala paste and saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and the herbs (roughly chopped mint and coriander leaves). Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the mutton pieces and add in the mutton cooked water (mutton stock). Measure the stock and add it to the pan.
- Add in half a cup of curd. Whisk the curd well so it does not form into lumps when added to the pan. Add in the water. *see notes
- Add in juice of half a lime and the cooked mutton with bone.
- When it come to a boil, drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame.
- Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
- The rice will be about 80% done. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture.
- After the rest, Enjoy Peter’s home style seeraga samba Biriyani!
Notes
For every cup of rice used, we need two cups of liquid. I have used two cups of rice today. So I need four cups of liquid. I had one cup of mutton stock. So I added that one cup of mutton stock and three cups of water (1 stock + 3 water = 4 liquid). Please also note that I have not included the curd for measurement.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: biriyani
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Simple Recipe for every one. And excellent taste. I slight added 1/2 tea spoon of Briyani masala for more flavor and some dry rose buds. Instead of cooking mutton separately, I added mixed it with the gravy and left for 5 whistles. That helped the mutton with more flavor.
Thank you so much.
Nicely narrated
Thank you so much.
This is the most accurate biryani recipe ever. The rice was impeccable and boiling the mutton turned out to be so convenient! Brilliant recipe! I halved the chillies though
Thank you!
I was surfing YouTube for a long time to cook seeraga samba biriyani and was not really convinced with anything, that is where I searched Google and got this during the lockdown (like 8 months before). So far I’ve sent this link to min of 10 friends and everyone has tried min of 5 times till date. All thanks to you and yeah this is amaazingg!!!!
Thank you so much. This means a lot to me.
Simple recipe but came out amazing. Big fan of all your non veg recipes. Have tried most of them, very clear instructions Thank you so much for your website. Please keep up the good work
Thank you!
kannama nalla per yen thamizh la podala ?
extraordinary, very simple and tasty
Thank you!
I think this was the best biriyani that I ever made! Your instructions and measurements are so precise! Thanks for reinforcing my confidence.
When I tried doubling the recipe and using Double Deer jeeraga samba rice, the rice got overcooked. What could be the problem? I did with the correct measurements.
If cooking in larger quantities, hold back little water and add if necessary as rice may cook for longer time.
You have given the rice in ml . Can you let us know the quantity in grams . Usually for 1 kg mutton we use 600gms rice . Will take work for this recipe ( without having to change the quantity of the other ingredients.
I cooked with mushroom biriyani. The taste was super. I am the fan of your all recipes.
Thank you for your blog
Thank you!
Hi dear,
500ml or 500gms of seeraga samba rice. Can u tell the quantity of rice in cups for 1 kg mutton.
Thank you,
500 ml rice. Its about two standard measuring cups.
1 cup is approx 240 ml
Hi Suguna,
Tried this mutton biriyani today.came out very well. Thanks so much for sharing this excellent recipe.
This recipe is so good! Tried it last week and it came perfect. I only difference which I did is by including mutton stock fully without the use of water. But I used same amount of liquid which was mentioned in the recipe. So glad I tried it.
Hi Suganya
I tried this recepie today. It turned out great and everybody at home loved it. Thank you s much.
Tried this recipe today,it’s taste fabulous.i loved it.
Hubby ‘first time ne supera briyani panirukanu sonanga’.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe mam.
Thank you!
Hello mam… i tried this recipe.. taste was fabulous.. need a clarification.. the rice was little sticky… how can i make the rice non-sticky…
Did you soak the rice? Soaking the rice is vert important.
Hi mam.. Tried this today.. Colour konjam kammi but extraordinary. Can I try the same for country chicken byriani!
Thank you so much! Yes Asir. You can try the same for chicken biryani!
I tried this today and it was yum. It made me feel so satisfied. I can always trust your recipes and it has never let me down. Thanks!
Happy Deepavali to you and your family! Thank you!
Hi Suguna,
I have tried this recipe twice and it has been tasty both times. Thank you for sharing this quick recipe with us.
One question : if tried for a country chicken, what should be the cooker cooking time for country chicken. Please let me know.
Hi Suguna,
I tried this recipe and for the first time I got the taste of biryani which is served in Shivaji Military biryani at Banashankai Bangalore at home. Love love love this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Regards,
Divya
500ml seeraga samba rice means how many tumbler mam
Hi
Don’t need to add Biriyani Leaves for this recipe?
Also – What happens if we prepare the gravy and cook the meat in it instead of separately and finally adding rice?
Thanks!
Awesome recipe…. I tried in pressure cooker and it came out perfect with same measurements.. Three whistles on high flame and let the pressure release.. thank u Suguna for this recipe
This is one of the best biryani I ever had. Must try. Thanks for the receipe.
Can we use pressure cooker for the whole recipe? And does it need any adjustments?
hi suguna..tried my hands on this deliciousness..extremely flavoursome..followed exactly the way you detailed the receipe. The major change i did was that i used chicken instead of mutton..was amazingly tasteful. Thank you for this..enjoyed every morsel thoroughly!
Thank you!
hi, I followed this biryani to the last letter and I must say it was truly superb!! enjoyed every morsel – my compliments
to Chef Peter–I’ve saved the rest for dinner!
I want to make a larger quantity and so I have a few clarifications-
1. can the mutton be increased inspite of the rice being 2 cups? or rice and meat = qty?
2.which other rice can be used as an option? I dont often get this rice.
3.can this recipe be doubled exactly without adjustments?
4.can an alluminium vessel be used? my heavy pan will fit 2cupsof rice only
Hi Maria,
Glad you liked the recipe.
Increasing the mutton qty will make the biryani greasy. You can use basmati rice if you do not get seeraga samba.
You can just double the recipe and will work. Aluminium will work, make sure its little heavy so it does not burn at the bottom.
tried this recipe taste was good but color of biryani was white i did not use kalpasi for masala paste is that the reason
Frying onions for long is the secret.
I tried it today taste was good but the color did not turn brown it was white can u please poi t out where I went wrong
Tried the biriyani and it was a hit at home…thank you….
Thank you!
When reading your receipe..trooling for me and it is really mouth watering.. thanks for the best one
Yummy 😋
Thank you… it looks yummy and definitely try this recipe… badly waiting for Sunday…
மிக்க நன்றி!
Aren’t 10 green chillies more spicy?
We are using 500 grams of mutton and 500 ml rice. For this quantity, the chillies are correct. It wont be very spicy.
There is no chilli powder involved in this recipe. Green chillies are the only spice used.
This is super easy. Going to try this Sunday 👍