Ambur Chicken Biriyani

I believe that biriyani is one of the most delicious and satisfying dishes in the world. I am a sucker for biriyani and I love to try different variations of it.

Ambur is a town in Vellore District of Tamil Nadu that’s really famous for its biriyani. I have already posted the Ambur mutton biriyani recipe here. Here’s the chicken version which is equally delicious.

Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6)

1. Chicken – 3/4 – 1 kg, cut into medium pieces (Marinate chicken pieces with little turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Set aside for 1 hour)

2. Jeeraga samba / jeerakashala / basmati rice – 2 cups, soaked in enough water for 30 minutes

3. Vegetable oil  – 6 – 7 tbsp

4. Whole spices – cloves 8 – 10, cardamom – 6 – 8, cinnamon stick – 2 inch piece broken, bay leaf – 1, mace / javithri – A small piece, star anise – 1

5. Onion – 2 – 2.5 cup, thinly sliced

6.  Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste – 2 tbsp

7. Ginger paste – 2 tbsp

Kashmiri dried red chilies – 12 – 15 (Soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and ground to a smooth paste adding little water. If you are using regular whole dried chilies, use 8 – 10)

8. Onion – 1/2 cup, thinly sliced

Tomato – 1 medium or 2 small, chopped

9. Cilantro – 3 – 4 tbsp, chopped

Mint leaves – 3 – 4 tbsp chopped

10. Yoghurt – 1/4 cup

12. Hot water – 1 – 1.5 cup

13. Lemon juice – 1 – 2 tsp or to taste

14.  Salt – To taste

To cook rice

15. Jeerakashala / biriyani rice – 2 cups

16. Whole spices – cardamom – 5, cloves – 6, cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch

Salt

Method

1. Heat oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add whole spices and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add 2 – 2.5 cup sliced onion, salt and saute until onion turns light golden. Add turmeric powder and cook for a few seconds. Next add garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes. Next add ginger paste and chilly paste (ingredients numbered 7). Cook for a minute. Add 1/2 cup sliced onion, chopped tomato, 1/4 cup yoghurt and mix well. Taste-check for salt. Add chicken pieces and mix well. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Add 3 – 4 tbsp chopped cilantro, mint leaves and mix well. Add 1 cup hot water. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 30 – 35 minutes  minutes until chicken is just done and oil separates on top. Set aside 1 – 1.5 cup of gravy in a bowl.

2. While the chicken is cooking, boil water in a large vessel adding ingredients numbered 16. Taste-check for salt. The water should be slightly salty. Add drained rice and cook until the rice is  75 % cooked. Drain well.

3. Spread rice on top of the chicken pieces. Add 1 cup gravy (that had been set aside) and mix the rice gently. Cover well with aluminium foil and then the lid. Heat a wide tawa over medium heat. Place the pan on top. Cook for 5 minutes. Bring down the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Switch off. Set aside for 20 minutes. Open and mix the biriyani carefully. Serve hot with raita.