Malabar style chicken biriyani

Malabar style chicken biriyani- Indian rice flavoured with spices in ghee and layered with chicken. 

Biriyani is a classic Indian dish which is often served in weddings and celebrations. However we make it occasionally at home for lunch also.  My kids are fond of this dish.

The main difference between the Malabar biriyani and the other biriyanies is that it uses short grained thin rice called jeerakasala rice or kaima rice which has its own flavour and identity.  You can also prepare this biriyani with normal basmati rice . 

Let me give a brief description about the recipe. Here, fried chicken blended in spices and layered with rice .The rice is prepared in the same way of ghee rice .  If  you marinate and refrigerate the chicken for more than one hour will give best aromatic biriyani.

We all like biriyani, but have inertia to cook it by thinking it is a lengthy process. But trust me, once you get used to this  following process, you will feel it is so easy.

This is the first biriyani recipe I post. I tried various recipes and all were totally disappointed me. But this recipe is awesome gifted by my intimate friend. With my special thanks to her, we can start ...

Chicken biriyani Malabar style Author: Anju Aneesh Recipe type: Main Course: India, South India, Kerala Preparation time: 30 minutes/ Cooking time:1 hour / Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes Ingredients For chicken masala 1/2 kg chicken, cut into pieces 2 tablespoon chilli powder 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste 6 medium onion, sliced 2 tomatoes, chopped 6 green chillies 1" piece ginger 8 cloves garlic 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped 1 teaspoon biriyani masala powder Lime juice of  one lemon Salt to taste Oil for frying For rice 2 1/2 cup basmati rice / jeerakasala rice 4 1/2 cup water 1 onion sliced 3 cloves  3 cardamom 2 bay leaves 2 to 3 tablespoon ghee  Salt to taste. To garnish yellow food colour (optional) 50 grams cashews 50 grams raisins fried onions from one onion 1 tablespoon coriander leaves 1/2 tablespoon mint leaves Lemon juice Direction of preparation of chicken biriyani For chicken masala Marinate the chicken pieces with chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt.  Keep in refrigerator for one hour. Heat oil in wok or kadai, and shallow fry on medium heat till it turns golden brown and half done.  Once done, remove chicken pieces from oil and keep aside. Crush ginger, garlic and green chillies together in a mixer grinder and reserve. Heat oil in pan, add thinly sliced onions and saute till transparent. Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute till the raw smell leaves. Once the onion turns golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Add biriyani masala, chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, lemon juice and salt. Mix well Add chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes in low flame till the oil separates. For rice Wash and drain the rice.  Boil water with enough salt and keep it aside. Heat ghee in a wide thick bottomed pan, add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and saute for one minute till a nice aroma start releasing. Add sliced onion and saute till transparent. Add rice and then saute for 2 to 3 minutes on low medium flame. Add hot water to this and cook till the rice is done. For layering Heat a wide thick bottomed pan preferably a biriyani pot, apply some ghee on the bottom and make the first layer with half of the cooked rice.  Spread some ghee fried cashews, raisins, fried onions and some mint and coriander leaves. Now make a second layer with prepared fried chicken masala over the rice and then make the third and final layer with remaining rice. Mix yellow colour with a little lemon juice or milk  and sprinkle over rice. sprinkle a little biriyani masala and chopped coriander leaves. Spread half of the ghee fried cashew and raisins Cover with a tight lid and heat on low flame for about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with fried onion, cashew nuts and raisins . serve hot.

Let us go to the step by step preparation of Malabar chicken biriyani

For chicken masala

1. Marinate chicken pieces with chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt.  Keep in refrigerator for one hour.
   
2. Heat oil in a wok or kadai, and shallow fry the chicken pieces on medium heat till they are golden brown and half done. Remove from oil and keep aside.
   
3. Crush ginger, garlic and green chillies together in a mixer grinder and reserve.
   
4. Heat oil in a large pan, add sliced onions and saute till transparent.
   
5. Add crushed ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute well.
   
6. Once the onion turns golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
   
7. Add  chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves,
   
   Add biriyani masala,
   
   Add salt
   
   Add lemon juice  and mix well
   
8. Add fried chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes on low flame till the oil separates.
   

For rice

1. Boil water with enough salt and keep aside.
   
2. Heat ghee in a wide thick bottomed pan, add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and saute for one minute till a nice aroma star releasing.
   
3. Add sliced onion and saute till transparent.
   
4. Wash , soak rice for 20 minutes. Then add the drained rice and saute for 2 to 3 minutes in low medium flame until start crackling.
   
5. To this add hot water.
   
6. Cook till the rice is done. ( For more information check my post on ghee rice)
   

For layering

1. Heat a thick bottomed pan (preferably a biriyani pot), apply some ghee and make a first layer at the bottom of the pan with half of the cooked rice. Spread some ghee fried cashews, fried onions, chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves on top.
   
2. Make a second layer with the prepared fried chicken masala over the rice.
   
3. Then add remaining rice as the top layer. Sprinkle little garam masala (or biriyani masala) and chopped coriander leaves. Spread ghee fried cashew, raisins and barista. Also spread some chopped coriander and mint leaves. Mix yellow colour with a little lemon juice or milk and sprinkle over rice.
   
4. Cover with a tight lid and heat on low flame for about 10-15 minutes.
   
5. Garnish with fried onion, cashew nuts and raisins . Serve hot with raita.