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Thalassery Biryani Recipe - Chicken Biryani
Thalassery Biryani Recipe - Chicken Biryani
Author: Thasneen
Recipe type: Main Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 5 People
Ingredients
Onions, sliced evenly- thin and long- 7
Oil- enough to fry onions (for more flavor, use half oil and half ghee)
For making Garam Masala
Cardamom whole- 4
Cloves whole- 3
Cinnamon whole- 3 inch slice
Ground Nutmeg- ¼ tsp
Fennel powder- 2 tsp
Cumin powder- ¼ tsp
To grind
Ginger, chopped- 3 inch
Garlic, chopped- 4 large cloves
Green chilies- 6 to 8 (based on your spice level)
Making Chicken Masala
Tomatoes, chopped- 7
Chicken, bone-in- 10 pieces
Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves
Cilantro, chopped- ¼ cup
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Salt- to taste
For cooking Rice
Kaima Rice or Jeerakasala rice- 2½ cups ( or use Basmati rice)
Whole cardamom- 2
Whole cloves- 2
Whole cinnamon- 2 inch slice
Bay leaves- 3
Whole black peppercorns- 1 tsp
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Salt- a few pinches
Water- 3 cups (to cook in rice cooker)
Other ingredients
Cashew nuts, roasted- ½ cup
Cilantro, chopped- 2 handfuls
Fresh Mint leaves, chopped- 5 leaves
Saffron- 2 pinches soaked in ¼ cup milk
Instructions
1. Slice the onions evenly to thin long slices, or use a food processor and use the slicer blade to slice onions.
2. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil or use half oil and half ghee and fry the onions in 5 batches till they
turn golden brown in color. Transfer the fried onions to a kitchen paper towel and let it absorb the excess oil.
3. Keep aside the fried onions.
4. In a blender, blend the ingredients mentioned above for making the garam masala and keep aside.
5. In a blender or food processor, grind the ginger, garlic and green chilies, keep aside.
Cooking the Rice
1. For making this biryani, Kaima rice or jeerakasala rice is used. If not use Basmati rice.
2. I cooked the rice in a rice cooker.
3. Add the washed rice along with the other ingredients mentioned above for cooking rice. While cooking in rice
cooker, you don't need to add too much water. For 2½ cups rice, 3 to 3½ cups water will be enough. Cook the rice
and Keep aside.
Making the Chicken Masala
1. Place a large pan over medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes, let cook and turn mushy.
2. Add the ground ginger, garlic and green chilies, combine well and cook for a few minutes till the raw smell goes
away.
3. Add the mint leaves, combine well.
4. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and cook along with ¼ cup water, cook covered till the chicken has cooked
well.
5. Add ¾ th of the fried onions to the cooked chicken (keep aside the remaining fried onions- it will be used for
topping the biryani).
6. Combine well and cook covered for 5 minutes so that the flavor of fried onions gets into the cooked chicken.
7. Add the prepared garam masala, combine well and cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Combine well.
9. If the mixture gets too dry, add a few tablespoons of water and cook for a minute.
10. Make sure the chicken masala is not watery. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Layering the rice and putting the biryani in Dum
1. In a bowl, soak the saffron in ¼ cup milk and keep aside for 5 minutes.
2. Evenly spread the chicken masala as the bottom layer of the pan.
3. Spread the cooked rice over the chicken masala.
4. Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice.
5. Spread the remaining fried onions, chopped mint, chopped cilantro and cashew nuts over the rice.
6. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place a lid or round pizza pan over the pan.
7. Place the pan over very low heat and dum cook (dum means to breathe in) for 10 minutes.
8. You could also dum cook in an oven- preheat the oven to the lowest oven temperature, layer the chicken masala
and rice and other ingredients in a deep dish, cover with aluminum foil and place it on the lower rack and cook
for 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes of dum cooking, remove the pan from the heat or oven.
10. Let cool down for a few minutes.
11. Serve the biryani along with raita, pickle or pappad.
12. Remember, biryani tastes better the next day. You could cook this the previous night and keep in the refrigerator.
Microwave or steam cook before serving.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas at http://www.thasneen.com/cooking/thalassery-biryani-recipe-chicken-biryani/