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Memoni Biryani

140 min Hard 6 servings

Serves 6 · Total 140 min · Prep 30 min · Cook 110 min

Updated on 8 November 2026

A biryani from the Memon community of Karachi: mutton cooked with lots of onion, tomato and yogurt, plenty of potatoes and ghee, and rice finished on dum. It is milder and more aromatic than Sindhi biryani, with a rich reddish-golden gravy. Best made for a crowd.

Quick answer: 140 min in total · serves 6 · main ingredients: Mutton, Rice, Potato, Onion · amounts in metric and US

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Ingredients

Metric US

1000 g 2.2 lb Mutton
500 g 2.5 cup Rice
5 pc 5 pc Potato
4 pc 4 pc Onion
4 pc 4 pc Tomato
250 g 1 cup Yogurt
2 tbsp 2 tbsp Ginger
2 tbsp 2 tbsp Garlic
3 tbsp 3 tbsp Biryani masala
2 tsp 2 tsp Red chilli powder
5 pc 5 pc Green chilli
0.5 cup 0.5 cup Mint
100 g 0.5 cup Clarified butter
100 ml 0.4 cup Cooking oil
to taste to taste Salt

Steps

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Fry the sliced onions in oil and ghee until golden brown, then lift out half for layering.
⏱ Frying onions · 14 min
In the same pot add the mutton with ginger, garlic, chilli and salt and fry for 10 minutes on high heat until it changes colour.
⏱ Frying mutton · 10 min
Add tomatoes, yogurt, biryani masala and half the fried onions. Cover and cook on low heat until the mutton is tender, adding a little hot water if the pot dries out.
⏱ Simmering the mutton · 80 min
Add the potatoes, halved and lightly fried, and cook 10 more minutes. The gravy should be thick and slightly oily.
⏱ Cooking with potatoes · 10 min
Rinse the rice and soak it for 30 minutes, then boil it with salt and whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cloves) until 70 percent done, about 6 minutes, and drain.
⏱ Parboiling rice · 6 min
Layer the rice over the masala with mint, green chillies, ghee and the remaining fried onions. Seal the lid and give it dum on the lowest heat for 25 minutes.
⏱ Dum (slow steam) · 25 min
Rest for 10 minutes, then mix gently from the bottom and serve with raita.
⏱ Resting · 10 min

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Frequently asked questions

How long does Memoni Biryani take?

140 minutes in total: about 30 minutes of prep and 110 minutes of cooking.

Is Memoni Biryani hard to make?

Degchi rates it hard. The method has 7 steps, and 7 of them have a timer you can start on this page.

How many people does Memoni Biryani serve?

This recipe serves 6. Use the toggle above the ingredient list to see the amounts in metric or US measures. For more or fewer portions, scale every amount in the same proportion, or use the servings control in the Degchi app.

Is Memoni Biryani halal, vegetarian or eggless?

It is marked halal in our recipe data. It is not vegetarian. It has no egg. It has no beef. Check the labels on any packaged ingredients for your own needs.

What will I probably need to buy for Memoni Biryani?

Everyday staples that Degchi counts as pantry basics: red chilli powder, cooking oil, salt. Spice-box items: biryani masala. Fresh items you will probably need to buy: mutton, potato, onion, tomato, yogurt, ginger, garlic, green chilli, mint, clarified butter. Lentils, grains and other dry goods: rice.

Any tips for making Memoni Biryani?

Mutton on the bone gives a richer gravy; ask the butcher for small pieces so they cook evenly. Cool leftovers within about 1 hour, refrigerate, and reheat until steaming hot; eat within 1 day.