The biryani... Always present on the table for special occasions and family get togethers.I don't know about authencity , but we always felt that Mother made the best biryani.Flawless and cooked from the heart.
Simply made and delicious.Always had it with a onion- tomato- mint raita, nimbu achar, and papads...I don't think I do justice to her recipe,but we enjoy it together while we reminisce the good times gone by.

Mutton Biryani

750 grams mutton,washed well
2 cups golden sela rice (washed and soaked in water for about an hour)
8 onions sliced fine + 2 onions sliced, salted and deep fried till golden brown
3/4 cup minced garlic + grated ginger
6-8 fresh green chillies , seeded and crushed- use more if you want
1 cup chopped coriander + mint

A few drops kewra water
A little saffron soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk ( I used orange food colour because I couldn't locate the saffron!)
6-8 tablespoons ghee + a little extra
Water for boiling rice

Dry roast and crush:
2 big cardamoms,peel removed,6-8 green cardamoms,1"piece of cinnamon ,6-8 cloves

1tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
Salt

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.Add onions and sauté till translucent and fragrant. Add the ginger and garlic. Continue sautéing till it turns light brown. Combine the herb mix.Cook for 2-3 minutes and add ground spice mix, coriander powder, fennel powder,red chilli powder, salt. Stir well for spices and onion mix to combine well. Add mutton and just enough water to cover it. Pressure cook for about 15 minutes.
Cooking times for cookers vary so check on how much time you would need to cook it!When done ,add half the caramelised onions to it,simmer 8-10 minutes.

In the meanwhile in an open pan boil water for the rice . Add to it salt ,(my measure-about 1 level teaspoon for each cup of rice),crushed cardamom (4-5 pods of the green ones) ,a piece of cinnamon ,3-4 cloves and the kewra water.Once the water is boiling,strain out whole spices.Add rice to the boiling water. Cook till 80% done. Strain and keep aside.

Pour 2 tablespoons warm ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Layer with rice, add mutton and the gravy- spread evenly over rice.Cover with another layer of rice and top it with a little of the soaked saffron and caramelised onions.Repeat the process till the topmost layer is rice. Cover the pot with aluminium foil and place a well fitting lid on it.(This should ideally be sealed with kneaded atta on the edges of the pot).Place on the stovetop,and lower heat to the lowest setting for about 15 minutes . Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and raisins .
Serve hot with onion- tomato- mint raita!