Malabar Chicken Biriyani with Step by Step Photos
Malabar chicken biriyani is a flavorsome preparation of rice from Malabar region, Kerala. This recipe uses chicken, a special kind of fragrant rice and some flavorful Indian spices. Really a delicious recipe that everyone should try. Let us learn today, how to make Malabar chicken briyani at home.
What is biryani?
Biryani is an aromatic rice preparation popular throughout India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. This dish is quite popular among the Muslim community of India and is a regular food item in their festivals, marriages, birthdays etc. The method preparation and taste of biriyani varies from region to region. In Kerala itself, you can see more than six types of popular biriyani. Chicken, mutton and beef biriyani is more popular in Kerala. But sea food biriyani and veg biriyani is also normal.
Difference between Malabar biriyani and other biriyani recipes?
Malabar biriyani uses s special type of scented and short grained rice called jeerakasala rice or kaima rice. This short grained rice provides a special aroma to the Malabar biriyani. This rice is not available everywhere, so you can try this recipe with regular basmati rice.
Biriyani is often served at weddings and celebrations. However, we make it occasionally at home for lunch also. My kids are fond of this dish.
How to Make Biriyani?
Biriyani preparation is a lengthy and time consuming process. A biriyani gets its exact taste and flavor when it is baked and kept for at least two to three hours. This baking process is called dum. Not all biriyani is dum biriyani, there are so many local biriyani recipe, which not at all need this dum process.
To make biriyani, here the chicken is mixed with spices, fried and then cooked in spicy and tangy gray. It is then layered with cooked rice.
Is biriyani is healthy?
A biriyani contains a huge amount of ghee or Vanaspati. It is a calorie rich food so taking biriyani regularly will result in weight gain. But when we prepare biriyani at home, we can make it healthy by reducing the amount of ghee and oil.
This was my first post on biriyani in this platform. This recipe, I got from my Malabari neighbor. This is not the typical Malabar biriyani recipe. It is only a homestyle biriyani preparation. I will post the authentic Malabar biriyani as soon as possible.
Chicken Biriyani recipe | Home Style Malabar Chicken Biriyani Recipe | How To Make Kerala Chicken Biriyani
Aromatic Chicken And Rice Preparation
Preparation time: 30 minutes/ Cooking time:1 hour / Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
To Marinate the chicken pieces
- 1/2 kg chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (adjust to your taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- Salt to taste
- Juice from half of a medium size lemon
For the masala
- 4 medium onion, sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 6 green chilies (consider its strength and adjust)
- 1 big piece of ginger, peeled
- 8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp biriyani masala powder
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
- 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 dum
- A pinch of yellow food color or saffron (optional)
- 50 grams cashews
- 50 grams raisins
- fried onions from one onion
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon mint leaves
- Lemon juice
- A pinch of garam masala
Malabar Chicken Biriyani Preparation With Step By Step Photos
For chicken masala
- The first step is mariantion of chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces with chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Keep in refrigerator for one hour.
- After one hour, 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.
- Crush ginger, garlic and green chilies together in a mixer grinder and reserve.
- Heat oil in a large pan, add sliced onions and sauté till transparent.
- Add crushed ginger-garlic-green chili paste and sauté well.
- Once the onion turns golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, Add biriyani masala,
Add salt
Add lemon juice and mix well
- Add fried chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes on low flame till the oil separates.
For rice
- Boil water with enough salt and keep aside.
- 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.
- Add sliced onion and saute till transparent.
- Wash , soak rice for 20 minutes. Then add the drained rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes in low medium flame until start crackling.
- To this add hot water.
- Cook till the rice is done. ( For more information check my post on ghee rice)
For layering
- 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.
- Make a second layer with the prepared fried chicken masala over the rice.
- 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 color with a little lemon juice or milk and sprinkle over rice.
- 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 with raita.
Happy Cooking
Anju
0 Comments