My comfort food. This aromatic blend of herbs, spices and rice blends in your mouth and tantalises your taste buds. There are 4 or 5 different types of biriyanis in Tamilnadu, Chennai style, Ambur style, Dindigul style, Kongunadu style etc , the Ambur biriyani being the most popular. I learnt this version of the Chennai style of biriyani from my mother in law. We also make another version of the Chennai biriyani at my mom’s house with only green chillies, which is equally awesome. Will update the re’cipe soon.
In this recipe, I have used the spice’ kalpasi’ or ‘dagad phool” , (pictured below). This spice enhances the flavour of the biriyani. But make sure that you use only 1 or 2 pieces/flowers of the same as it has a strong flavour. You may also chose to omit it from the recipe, if you do not have it n your pantry.
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 3 cups
Water – 1 cup + 3 1/2 cup
Curds – 2 tbsp
Pudina/Mint leaves – 3/4 cup
Coriander leaves – 3/4 cup
Onions – 4 big + 1 onion
Tomato – 3 small or 2 medium
Chicken – 1 Kg
Garam masala powder – a pinch (optional)
Cloves -6
Cinnamon – 2 inch stick
Small Cardamom – 4
Big black cardamom – 2
Bay leaf – 3
Dagad phool /Kalpasi/black stone flower – 2 pieces
Sauf – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 8
Red chillie powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste – 1 tbsp heaped
Coconut milk powder – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts and raisins fried – 8 pieces each
Kalpaasi/Dagad phool
Instructions:
Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp turmeric and curds/yogurt for 1 or 2 hrs. Soak rice for only 20 minutes before you start cooking the rice. After 20 minutes, pass the rice through a colander and keep the rice aside.
Grind 5 green chillies with little water in a mixie coarsely. Keep aside. Slice the onions (5) thinly.
Heat a wide thick bottomed vessel. Add oil and ghee and heat it. When it becomes hot, add a pinch of the garam masala powder, the cloves, cinnamon, small cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, saunf and dagad phool. Then, add sliced onions and 3 green chillies slit lengthwise and saute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell goes away. Now add the green chillie paste, coriander leaf, pudina leaves and tomatoes and saute for 3- 4 minutes. Then in goes the 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, chillie powder 1/2 tsp and salt. Saute again and add in the marinated chicken. Add 1 cup water and close the lid and cook the chicken.
In a pan, heat 3 1/2 cups water. When it starts to boil, add the prepared chicken masala and the coconut milk powder to it and stir. Adjust the salt. When the water starts to boil, add the rice to it . Close and keep on high for 3 -4 minutes and when the water has been almost absorbed and the rice comes to the top, reduce the flame to the minimum on a small burner and keep the vessel covered and cook for 20 minutes. (or you could also place the vessel on an iron griddle/tawa, on very low flame for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai and deep fry 1 big sliced onion until brown in color. Also, fry the cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.
Serve the biriyani garnished with fried onions, raisins and cashewnuts.
Meal Haven 