Goat Biryani (Indian Dum Style) Recipe

Goat biryani is a layered Indian rice dish where basmati and yogurt-marinated goat cook together under steam until the grains are fluffy and the meat turns tender. The goat simmers first in a spiced onion-tomato gravy, then is layered with parboiled basmati, herbs, fried onions, and ghee before a final sealed “dum” cook. The result is aromatic, lightly spicy, and rich, with separate long rice grains and juicy pieces of goat in every scoop.

Goat Biryani (Indian Dum Style) Recipe

Layered basmati rice and tender spiced goat cooked on dum for a fragrant, restaurant-style Indian goat biryani at home.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Marinate Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Calories: 600

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For Marinating The Goat

• 2 lb goat meat bone-in curry pieces
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala or biryani masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For The Rice

• 3 cups basmati rice
• 10 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 whole cloves

For The Biryani Masala Base

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 2 green chilies slit
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala or biryani masala
• 1½ tsp salt

For Layering

• 2 tbsp warm milk
• A pinch of saffron threads or ¼ tsp food-safe yellow color optional
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ cup fried onions store-bought or homemade
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped mint

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Large heavy pot with tight lid
• Medium saucepan
• Colander
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

Marinate The Goat

1. Place the goat pieces into a large mixing bowl and pat them dry with paper towels using your hands.
2. Add yogurt, ginger–garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala or biryani masala, and lemon juice to the bowl, then mix well with a wooden spoon so every piece is coated.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 60 minutes so the goat absorbs the spices and starts to tenderize.

Parboil The Basmati Rice

1. Place the basmati rice in the large mixing bowl, cover it with water from a measuring cup, and rub the grains gently with your fingers, then drain through a colander; repeat until the water runs mostly clear.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with 10 cups water using a measuring cup, add salt, cardamom pods, bay leaf, and cloves, and set it on the stove over high heat until the water boils.
3. Add the rinsed rice to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, stirring once with a wooden spoon, until the grains are just tender on the outside but still firm in the center.
4. Drain the rice immediately through the colander and set it aside so the steam escapes and the grains stay separate.

Cook The Goat Masala

1. Set the large heavy pot on the stove over medium heat and add vegetable oil and ghee using a measuring spoon.
2. When the fat looks hot and shimmering, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seeds, and stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook, stirring often with the spoon, for 12 minutes until they turn deep golden brown.
4. Stir in the green chilies, then add the marinated goat from the bowl into the pot and mix well with the wooden spoon so the meat touches the bottom of the pot.
5. Cook the goat on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pieces lose their raw color and the masala smells roasted.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and mint to the pot and stir, then sprinkle turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala or biryani masala, and salt over the top.
7. Cook this mixture for 12 minutes, stirring now and then with the spoon, until the tomatoes break down and you see some oil separating at the edges of the masala.
8. Pour in 1 cup water with a measuring cup, stir, cover the pot with its lid, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes until the goat is mostly tender and the gravy is thick but still saucy.

Layer The Biryani

1. In a small bowl, warm the milk briefly in the microwave and stir in saffron or food color with a spoon.
2. Check the goat in the pot; the pieces should be close to tender and coated in a medium-thick gravy that is not watery.
3. Turn the heat down to very low, then spread the goat and gravy in an even layer at the bottom of the pot using the wooden spoon.
4. Spread half of the parboiled rice over the goat in a gentle, even layer with your hand or the spoon, taking care not to break the grains.
5. Sprinkle half of the fried onions, half of the cilantro, and half of the mint over this rice layer, then drizzle 1 tbsp ghee over the top with a measuring spoon.
6. Add the remaining rice as a second layer, then top with the rest of the fried onions, cilantro, mint, and the saffron milk, and drizzle the final 1 tbsp ghee evenly over the surface.

Cook On Dum

1. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid; if the lid is loose, seal the edge with a strip of foil or a simple dough rope pressed around the rim using your hands.
2. Increase the heat to medium for 5 minutes to build steam inside the pot, then lower the heat to very low and cook for 25 minutes without opening the lid.
3. Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, still covered, for 10 minutes so the steam settles and the layers firm up.
4. Gently open the lid away from your face to avoid hot steam, then use a large spoon to lightly fluff the top layer of rice and lift from the bottom so you bring up goat and rice together without mashing the grains.

Notes

• Soak the basmati if you like for 20–30 minutes before cooking; it helps the grains stretch long, but drain it well so you do not overcook the rice later.
• Always parboil the rice only until just firm in the center; fully cooked rice will turn mushy during dum, while slightly undercooked grains finish perfectly in the steam.
• Use bone-in goat for biryani, since the bones add flavor and help keep the meat juicy during the long simmer and dum stages.
• Keep the dum heat very low; high heat at this stage burns the bottom layer and leaves the middle undercooked, so a small steady flame is key.
• If the goat still feels firm after the first simmer in masala, cook it a bit longer with a splash of water before layering so it finishes tender during dum.
• For extra biryani aroma, you can add a few drops of kewra water or rose water to the top layer before sealing, but go light so it does not overpower the spices.