Kacchi Biryani
Marinated raw mutton layered with fragrant rice and potatoes, sealed and slow-cooked together in one pot.
- prep
- 40 min
- cook
- 1 h 30 min
- total
- 2 h 10 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- hard
Kacchi biryani is Old Dhaka's signature dish, raw marinated mutton layered under fragrant basmati rice and cooked together, unlike most biryanis where the meat is at least partly cooked first.
Everything happens inside one sealed pot: the rice steams, the meat cooks through, and both end up carrying each other's flavor by the time the lid comes off.
Part of our 20 best Bangladeshi recipes list.
method
Marinate the mutton with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chile powder, turmeric, half the garam masala, salt, and half the mustard oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Fry the halved potatoes in a little oil until golden on the outside, then set aside.
Parboil the soaked rice in heavily salted water with the whole spices until about 70% cooked, then drain.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, spread the marinated mutton in an even layer. Scatter the fried potatoes over the top.
Layer the parboiled rice over the meat and potatoes. Scatter fried onions, saffron milk, ghee, remaining garam masala and rose water over the rice.
Seal the pot tightly with a dough around the lid, or with a tight-fitting lid and foil, to trap the steam completely.
Cook over very low heat for 45 to 50 minutes, allowing the meat and rice to finish cooking together in their own steam.
Break the seal at the table, and gently fold the rice and meat together before serving.
chef's tips
- The dum method, sealing the pot airtight, is non-negotiable; it's what lets the raw meat and parboiled rice finish cooking together using only their own trapped steam.
- Marinating the mutton overnight makes a real difference in tenderness since the meat is never pre-cooked before it goes into the pot.