Calcutta Kitchen

Recipe

Kolkata Mutton Biryani (কলকাতা মাটন বিরিয়ানি)

Kolkata-style Mutton Biryani with fragrant basmati rice, tender mutton, potatoes, birista, saffron, yakhni and rogan, finished on dum.

Kolkata Mutton Biryani served with long-grain basmati rice, tender mutton and a golden potato beside the biryani handi.

Recipe information

Prep time
45 min
Cook time
120 min
Total time
345 min
Servings
9-11
Difficulty
hard

About this recipe

Kolkata Mutton Biryani is known for its restrained spice profile, long-grained rice, large tender pieces of mutton and the iconic potato. This version keeps the traditional multi-stage character of the dish while organising the process so that one person can manage it efficiently. The mutton is marinated and bhunaoed separately, the potatoes are cooked on their own, and the cooked mutton liquor is divided into concentrated tar and natural rogan. A strained yakhni, saffron essence milk and rogan-ghee are then used for different purposes during layering before the biryani is sealed and finished on dum.

Equipment

Shiv Shakti Arts Brass Lagan Handi with Lid

Shiv Shakti Arts Brass Lagan Handi with Lid

Traditional brass handi that provides gentle, even heating and is ideal for festive cooking and slow-cooked recipes.

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Bergner Biryani Handi

Bergner Biryani Handi

Premium triply handi with even heat distribution, ideal for dum cooking, biryanis, pulao, curries, and one-pot meals.

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Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set

Stainless steel mixing bowl set in multiple sizes for mixing, marinating, whisking, storing, and serving ingredients.

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Ingredients

  • For the CK Kolkata Biryani Masala

  • For the Mutton Marinade

  • For the Birista

  • For the Potatoes

  • For Cooking the Mutton

  • For the Yakhni

  • For the Rogan-Ghee

  • For the Saffron Essence Milk

  • For the Rice

  • For Layering

Cooking method

  1. Prepare the Biryani Masala

  2. On very low heat, roast cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, black pepper and kabab chini for about 2 minutes

  3. Add shah jeera and white pepper and roast for another 30–40 seconds

  4. Switch off the heat

  5. Add green cardamom, mace, nutmeg and dried rose petals in the residual heat for 20–30 seconds

  6. Cool completely, grind finely and sieve

  7. Marinate the Mutton

  8. Mix the mutton with thick curd, ginger paste, garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, black pepper, CK Biryani Masala and salt

  9. Marinate for at least 2–3 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator

  10. Make the Birista

  11. Heat the neutral oil in a large pressure cooker

  12. Fry the thinly sliced onions over medium heat until golden, removing them just before they reach their final colour

  13. Cool until crisp and lightly crush

  14. Reserve 75% for the mutton and 25% for layering

  15. Keep the frying oil

  16. Cook the Potatoes

  17. Season the potatoes with salt and optional food colour

  18. Use about 60 ml of the birista oil and fry the potatoes for 6–7 minutes until lightly golden

  19. Add 300 ml hot water, cover normally and cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes

  20. Cook until the potatoes are about 90–95% done but still hold their shape

  21. Uncover and evaporate all remaining water

  22. Remove the potatoes and keep them aside

  23. Cook the Mutton

  24. Do not wash the cooker after cooking the potatoes

  25. Add 40 g ghee to the remaining birista oil

  26. Add bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and kabab chini and let them become fragrant

  27. Add the sliced onions and fry until golden

  28. Add the marinated mutton and cook first over medium-high heat, then medium heat

  29. Bhunao for about 25–30 minutes until the curd and ginger-garlic are cooked, the moisture reduces, the meat lightly browns and the fat begins to separate

  30. Add 75% of the birista and 2 g CK Biryani Masala

  31. Bhunao for another 5 minutes

  32. Add 250 ml hot water

  33. Pressure cook for about 15–18 minutes under pressure and allow natural pressure release

  34. The mutton should be fully tender but still intact before dum

  35. Separate the Mutton, Tar and Rogan

  36. Remove the cooked mutton pieces from the cooker

  37. Strain the cooking liquid and allow it to settle

  38. Reserve 250 ml concentrated tar; reduce briefly if there is too much liquid

  39. Skim off the natural mutton rogan and keep it separately

  40. Prepare the Yakhni

  41. Combine 250 ml tar, milk, CK Biryani Masala, salt and sugar

  42. Warm gently for 2–3 minutes without boiling aggressively

  43. Add lemon juice and switch off the heat

  44. Pass the yakhni through a fine strainer

  45. Reserve all of it for the bottom mutton-and-potato layer only

  46. Prepare the Rogan-Ghee

  47. Warm the natural mutton rogan and mix with 45 g ghee

  48. Reserve 20% for the bottom layer, 30% for the first rice layer and 50% for the top layer

  49. Prepare the Saffron Essence Milk

  50. Bloom the saffron in warm milk for 15–20 minutes

  51. Once the milk has cooled slightly, add kewra water, rose water and meetha attar

  52. Do not reheat

  53. Reserve 40% for the first rice layer and 60% for the top layer

  54. Cook the Rice

  55. Wash the basmati gently and soak for 60–90 minutes

  56. Bring 6 L water to a strong boil with salt, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, shah jeera and kewra water

  57. Boil the aromatic water for 3–4 minutes

  58. Add the drained soaked rice and lemon or lime juice

  59. Cook until the rice is about 75–80% done: elongated and soft outside with a tiny firm core

  60. Drain immediately and do not rinse

  61. Layer while the rice is still hot

  62. Layer the Biryani

  63. Place all the mutton, potatoes and alu bukhara at the bottom of the handi

  64. Pour over all the strained yakhni

  65. Add about one-third of the khoya, about one-quarter of the reserved birista, a small amount of CK Biryani Masala and 20% of the rogan-ghee

  66. Add half the rice as the first rice layer

  67. Distribute 40% of the saffron essence milk, another one-third of the khoya, half of the remaining birista, a little CK Biryani Masala and 30% of the rogan-ghee

  68. Add the remaining rice as the top layer

  69. Distribute the remaining 60% saffron essence milk, remaining khoya, remaining birista, remaining CK Biryani Masala and the final 50% rogan-ghee

  70. Do not stir and do not try to make the rice uniformly yellow

  71. Dum the Biryani

  72. Seal the handi tightly with atta dough

  73. Place over direct medium-high heat for 7–8 minutes to establish steam

  74. Move the handi to a preheated heavy iron tawa and cook over low to medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes

  75. Switch off the heat and rest the biryani sealed for 15–20 minutes

  76. Open the handi and serve vertically from the bottom so each portion gets rice, mutton, potato and the flavoured lower layer

Pro tips

  • Use large bone-in mutton pieces so they stay juicy and intact through pressure cooking and dum
  • Do not replace the mutton with chicken using the same measurements; the meat requires a different spice balance, cooking time and moisture strategy
  • Remove birista slightly before it reaches the final desired colour because it continues darkening after leaving the oil
  • Do not discard the birista oil; use it for the potatoes and then as part of the mutton cooking base
  • Cook the potatoes separately to about 90–95% so their doneness does not depend entirely on dum
  • Do not put the potatoes into the mutton gravy
  • The mutton must be fully tender before layering; dum is not meant to tenderize tough meat
  • Keep tar, yakhni, saffron essence milk and rogan-ghee separate because each performs a different job in the final biryani
  • Use all the yakhni only on the bottom mutton-and-potato layer
  • Do not fully cook the rice before dum; 75–80% is the target
  • Keep the final rice patchy white, pale saffron and glossy rather than uniformly yellow
  • Serve vertically instead of mixing the whole handi

Frequently asked questions

Why is the mutton biryani masala different from the chicken biryani masala?

Mutton has a deeper flavour, more fat and a longer cooking time than chicken, so the aromatic balance is adjusted rather than simply reusing the same formula.

Why is biryani masala added both in the marinade and later with the birista?

The masala in the marinade builds a deeper base, while the smaller later addition refreshes aromatic notes that would otherwise mellow during long cooking.

Why are the potatoes cooked separately?

Cooking them separately lets you control their doneness and keeps their flavour clean instead of coating them in mutton gravy.

What are tar and rogan?

Tar is the concentrated meat cooking liquid left after the mutton is cooked, while rogan is the natural rendered mutton fat that rises to the top.

Why is the yakhni strained?

Straining removes onion, spice and curd particles so the final yakhni is smooth and does not make the rice gritty.

Why does all the yakhni go only on the bottom layer?

It gives the mutton and potato layer concentrated flavour and moisture without soaking the upper rice layers.

Can I fully cook the rice before layering?

No. Cook the rice only to about 75–80% so it can finish during dum without becoming mushy.

Can I use dum to finish cooking tough mutton?

No. The mutton should already be tender before layering; dum is mainly for finishing the rice and integrating aroma, moisture and fat.

Watch the recipe

Video preview: Kolkata Mutton Biryani | একাই বানাবেন? এইভাবে করুন Watch on YouTube

Kolkata Mutton Biryani | একাই বানাবেন? এইভাবে করুন

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