Pressure Cooker Mutton Biryani

This pressure cooker mutton biryani is an easy-to-cook version of the famed Malabar mutton biryani. Unlike the traditional preparations, this recipe doesn’t involve any elaborate cooking. There are only two main steps involved – One, cooking the meat in a pressure cooker. Two, adding rice cooked with spices to the meat.

If you are a purist, don’t worry! This pressure cooker mutton biryani recipe doesn’t compromise on the authentic flavours. The end result is still a great tasting Kerala mutton biryani.

Jeerakasala rice cooked with whole spices, soaking up the flavours of juicy mutton simmered with onions, spices, mint and coriander leaves – it is a union that you cannot refuse!

Jeerakasala or Khyma rice is the variety of rice used for cooking traditional Malabar mutton biryani. If you cannot get hold of Jeerakasala rice, you can replace it with Basmati rice.

Bookmark this recipe. This pressure cooker mutton biryani will be a lifesaver (slightly exaggerated, but if you are biryani lover you’ll know what I am saying!) when you crave for a homecooked Kerala biryani.

About this pressure cooker mutton biryani

We’ll start by marinating the mutton pieces with green chillies, ginger, garlic and salt. Most of the cooking happens in the pressure cooker. Onions are shallow fried with other ingredients in the pressure cooker. Marinated mutton is added to the mix. All the ingredients are combined well, and then pressure cooked to perfection.

Check out the recipe notes if you are not familiar with cooking meat in a pressure cooker. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally before opening the lid.

When you open the lid, you’ll see the mutton pieces cooked well, falling off the bones and simmering in the flavourful juices. Rice cooked with whole spices is added to the pressure cooker, and cooked for some more time to complete our delicious, pressure cooker mutton biryani.

If you liked this pressure cooker mutton biryani recipe, don’t forget to check out the following Kerala recipes as well.

• Thalassery Chicken Biriyani
• Kerala Mutton Curry
• Erachi Choru (Meat Rice Kerala Style)
• Kerala Homemade Chicken Curry
• Kerala Fish Fry

Print Recipe

Pressure Cooker Mutton Biryani

This pressure cooker mutton biryani is an easy-to-cook version of the famed Malabar mutton biryani. Jeerakasala rice cooked with whole spices, soaking up the flavours of juicy mutton simmered with onions, spices, mint and coriander leaves - it is a union that you cannot refuse!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: brunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Kerala

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For marinade

• 5 green chillies moderately hot
• 1 inch ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped

For mutton

• 1/2 kg mutton medium-sized pieces
• 5 medium onions thinly sliced
• 10 green chillies moderately hot (sliced lengthwise)
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 10 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint leaves roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• salt

For rice

• 1/2 kg jeerakasala rice about 2 1/2 cups
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 piece star anise
• 2 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1 piece mace
• 1/4 cup mint leaves roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped
• salt

Instructions

• Take the green chillies, ginger and garlic mentioned under the marinade ingredients, chop them, and mix well to create a coarse paste.
• In a mixing bowl, add the mutton pieces, the marinade, and salt.
  
• Add chopped mint and coriander leaves.
  
• Combine well to get the mutton pieces evenly coated with the marinade ingredients.
• Keep aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
• Heat some oil in a pressure cooker and shallow fry the onions.
  
• Once the onions are tender, add sliced green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and mint leaves.
  
• Add the mutton pieces, combine well, close the lid and pressure cook till the meat is done.
• Add 5 cups water in a pot. Add the whole spices and the mint and coriander leaves.
  
• Bring to boil.
• Wash and drain the rice. Add to the boiling water.
• Cook the rice to 90%. It shouldn't be fully cooked.
  
• Open the pressure cooker. The mutton pieces should be cooked well by now.
  
• Transfer the almost cooked rice to the pressure cooker.
  
• Add the remaining coriander and mint leaves as a top layer.
  
• Level the rice so that it evenly covers the cooked mutton in the cooker.
• Close the lid and cook for 10 more minutes on a low flame (without pressure cooking).
• Switch off. Keep the cooker closed for another 15 minutes.
• Serve hot with some raita and pickle.

Notes

Pressure cooking meat

Close the lid, put the regulator weight whistle, and cook on a high flame. When you get the first whistle, reduce to a low flame. Cook for 3-4 more whistles depending on the meat. If you are using meat that is not tender, you might have to cook for a couple more whistles.

Wait for the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid. Do NOT force open.