Thalassery chicken biryani
Thalassery biryani (തലശ്ശേരി ബിരിയാണി) — Malabar's short-grain ghee-rice biryani layered with chicken masala
On the Malabar coast of northern Kerala, the port town of Thalassery makes its biryani with kaima (jeerakasala), a tiny fragrant rice that stays separate and buttery instead of long and dry. Mappila Muslim families serve it at weddings, at Eid and at Friday lunches, the chicken cooked first in a green-chilli and tomato masala, then buried under ghee rice and sealed for dum. There is no red chilli powder in it; the heat comes from fresh green chillies, and the sweetness from cashews, raisins and deeply fried onions. Serve it with a sharp date-and-onion pickle or a simple raita. Chef's tip: toast the washed, drained rice in ghee until it smells nutty before the water goes in; it keeps every grain whole.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken masala
For the ghee rice
Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ⅛ lb kaima (jeerakasala) rice gently in three changes of water until the water runs nearly clear, then drain it in a sieve for 20 minutes. Kaima rice is fragile, so don't soak it long.
20 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp sunflower or coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Fry 3 onions, stirring often, for 15–18 minutes until deep golden and crisp, then lift them onto kitchen paper. Fry 1 oz cashews and 1 oz raisins in the same oil for 1 minute until the cashews are golden and the raisins puff; lift them out too.
19 minStep 3: In the remaining oil, fry 2 onions over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft and light gold. Add 1 oz ginger, 10 cloves garlic and 6 green chillies and fry for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
10 minStep 4: Add 2 tomatoes, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes, mashing, until the tomatoes collapse and oil shows at the edges.
5 minStep 5: Add 2 ¼ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in and turn to coat in the masala. Stir in 3 ½ oz plain yogurt and half of 1 ½ tsp garam masala, cover and cook on a low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through: the juices run clear and the thickest piece reads 165°F (165 °F). The masala should be thick, not soupy; boil off any extra liquid uncovered.
30 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice, half of ½ oz mint leaves and half of ½ oz coriander leaves, the rest of 1 ½ tsp garam masala and a third of the fried onions. Take the pan off the heat.
1 minStep 7: For the ghee rice, melt 4 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 4 green cardamom pods for 30 seconds, then add the drained 1 ⅛ lb kaima (jeerakasala) rice and stir gently for 3–4 minutes until it smells nutty and looks glassy.
4 minStep 8: Pour in 3 ¼ cups boiling water with 1 ½ tsp salt, bring back to the boil, then cover and cook on a low heat for 10–12 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Common mistake: cooking the rice soft at this stage — it gets more time on dum, so stop when it still has a little bite.
12 minStep 9: Spread the chicken masala over the base of a heavy pot (or leave it in its pan if it's wide). Pile the ghee rice over it and level it without pressing. Scatter over the remaining fried onions, 1 oz cashews, 1 oz raisins, the rest of the ½ oz mint leaves and ½ oz coriander leaves, and 1 tsp rose water if using.
3 minStep 10: Cover tightly with foil and the lid. Set the pot on a flat griddle (tawa) over a low heat and leave it on dum for 20 minutes, so the steam carries the masala into the rice.
20 minStep 11: Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve, scooping down to the bottom so each plate gets chicken, masala and rice.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thalassery chicken biryani take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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