Malabar Biryani

Swasthi Shreekanth presents Thalassery biryani as a Malabar chicken biryani made with jeerakasala rice, chicken masala, fried onions and nuts. This selected version makes its own spice powder and brings the cooked chicken and rice together for a sealed dum finish.

Star anise, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, mace, grated nutmeg, shahi jeera, fennel seeds, red chillies and peppercorns are cleaned and ground as a larger batch for both the chicken and the rice layers. Ghee is heated to fry cashews and raisins, which are set aside. Sliced onions for the garnish fry in the same fat and are removed, before the separate main onion portion is sautéed.

The supplied ginger-garlic-green-chilli paste is added to the main onions and sautéed. Chicken follows, then turmeric and some of the prepared spice powder. After a covered cooking stage, tomatoes, salt and yogurt are added. The chicken cooks covered with occasional stirring in its released juices; mint and coriander are added when it is ready.

The jeerakasala rice is washed and drained in a colander. In a separate vessel, ghee is heated with bay leaf, star anise, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fennel seeds. The rice is fried and salt is added, followed by hot water for covered cooking, with more warm water only if needed.

Half the rice is layered over the levelled chicken masala, with some of the fried onions, herbs and more powder from that same larger batch. The remaining rice is added with the remaining fried onions, nuts and herbs. Ghee mixed with the selected rose water finishes the layers. The vessel is sealed with foil and a steel plate, weighted, and cooked over a heated tawa before resting and serving with onion raita.