Malabar Chicken Biriyani

Picture from: malabar-ruchi
Image Credit: Vineetha

Malabar Chicken Biriyani

“If you look carefully can you notice that rice I used for this biriyani is slightly different from the usual long grain basamathi rice, we use a small variety of biriyani rice and this is one of the precious things which I pack  from India every time. I always use this rice for making Malabar biriyani and I think the rice also makes a difference in the taste!” Vineetha

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg (with bones)

To marinate:

Red chili powder - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 ½ tablespoons

Chicken masala - 1 ½ tablespoons, I used eastern chicken masala

Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Salt

For gravy:

Onions - 6 -7(thinly sliced)

Tomatoes - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Green chilies - 1-2

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves- fistful

Mint leaves/ pudina - few

Oil or ghee (I used oil)

For rice:

Biriyani rice - 3 cup

Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Onion - 1 (thinly sliced lengthwise)

Cinnamon sticks - 2-3 sticks

Cardamom pods - 4-5

Cloves - 4

Bay leaf - 2

Star anise - 2

Fennel - 1 tablespoon

Peppercorns – 1 teaspoon (optional)

Lime juice- 1 tablespoon

Salt

Boiling Water - 5 ½ cup

For garnishing:

Ghee - 1 tbs

Fried onions - 2 tablespoons

Cashewnuts - 1 tablespoon

Sultanas /raisins - 1 tablespoon

Method:

Soak the biriyani rice in some water for ½ hour - 1 hour.

Drain the rice and allow it to dry.

Meanwhile marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marinating and keep 

it aside for 30 minutes.

In a big wok add oil /ghee and sauté thinly sliced onions adding a pinch of salt.

Sauté until they are brown, it may take up to 30 minutes. Walk away from onions and come 

back once in awhile and give it a stir.

Once onions are well browned add ginger garlic paste, green chilies, and fry for a minute or so.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until slightly mushy.

Add marinated chicken and cook covered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Finally add garam masala, pepper powder, coriander leaves, mint leaves and cook for a 

minute and remove from fire.

Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pan add 2 tablespoons ghee, sauté the thinly sliced onions for 

rice until they are soft and light brown.

Add the rice, lime juice, salt and fry the rice for few minutes until rice becomes lightly brittle.

Add 5 ½ cups of boiling water, salt and cook till the water has all been absorbed , rice will be 

99  % cooked now.

Switch off the flame, leave the rice covered (it will get fully cooked from heat) for 5 minutes.

In an ovenproof dish layer rice and chicken masala alternately and cover the dish tightly and 

pop them into a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 - 20 minutes.

In a pan add ghee and fry cashew nuts until brown, fry sultanas/raisins until they puff up and 

keep it aside.

Once the biriyani is out of the oven garnish the biriyani with fried onions, cashewnuts and 

sultanas.

We serve it hot with some coconut chutney, raita, pappad, pickles and cabbage thoran but you can even enjoy the biriyani on its own!

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