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1
Layer the Raw Mutton
10 Mins
Room temperature
Take the marinated mutton out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it is not fridge-cold. Spread it in an even layer at the bottom of a heavy, wide pot (a handi or Dutch oven), and arrange the fried potato halves around it. Scatter half the crisp fried onions, half the herbs and half the raisins over the meat.
An even layer matters — a thick pile in the middle cooks unevenly on dum.
Done when: Meat forms one even layer; potatoes, onions and herbs scattered over it.
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2
Parboil the Rice
8 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the drained rice and boil for 5–6 minutes until the grains are soft on the outside but still firm and chalky in the middle. Drain in a colander — do not rinse.
Bite a grain: it should bend without snapping and still have a white, firm centre. Overcooked rice turns to mush in the pot.
Done when: Rice is parboiled — tender outside, firm and white inside.
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3
Layer Rice, Saffron & Ghee
10 Mins
Low heat, ~120°C (250°F)
Spoon half the parboiled rice over the meat and spread it gently. Scatter the rest of the fried onions, herbs and raisins, place the 2 whole green chillies on top, then spoon over the rest of the rice and mound it into a low dome. Drizzle over the saffron milk, the melted ghee, the kewra water and the rose water.
Mound the rice high in the middle — the dome lets steam circulate and keeps the top layer from drying out.
Done when: Layers are built with saffron milk and ghee drizzled over the dome.
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4
Seal the Pot & Cook on Dum
90 Mins
Lowest heat, ~120°C (250°F)
Mix flour and water into a soft dough and press it around the rim of the pot, then press the lid down onto it so the pot is completely sealed. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes to build up steam, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 70–80 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
If you have no dough, wrap the lid tightly in foil and weigh it down — the seal is what makes dum work.
Done when: Pot is sealed with dough; steam is trapped inside for the whole cook.
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5
Rest, Break the Seal & Serve
10 Mins
Off the heat
Take the pot off the heat and rest it, still sealed, for 10 minutes. Break the dough seal, lift the lid and check that the meat is spoon-tender and reaches at least 71°C (160°F) inside. Gently lift the biryani out in layers onto a large platter so everyone gets rice, meat and potato, and top with the halved boiled eggs.
Lift from the bottom in layers instead of stirring — stirring breaks the rice and mixes the layers into a mush.
Done when: Meat is spoon-tender and hot through; rice is fluffy, separate and saffron-streaked.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the sealed pot off the heat for 10 minutes, then break the dough seal and lift the biryani out in layers so everyone gets rice, meat and potato. Serve hot with the boiled eggs on top, salad and borhani on the side — and let the saffron steam do the talking.
Bangladesh
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France
Vietnam