Ambur Biryani
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 cups of seeraga samba rice
  • 3 pounds or one whole chicken, cut to large chunks with bone
  • 1 extra large red onion or 3 small onions, cut to lengthwise
  • 10-15 red chilies
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 4 small tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 packed cup mint leaves, chopp
  • ⅓ cup of veg oil
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 5 whole cardamom
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 inch cinammon stick
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 star anise
  • ½ cup full fat sour yogurt
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt
  • 1 tbsp biryani masala
  • 5 cups of water
Biryani Powder ( bulk- use only 1 tsp or 2 tsp)
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds or dhaniya seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 kashmiri red chilli (dried)
  • 6 bay leaf / tej patta
  • 1 tsp cloves / lavang
  • 3 black cardamom / badi elachi
  • 3 star anise / chakkar phool
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick / dalchini
  • 1 nutmeg / jaayaphal
  • 1 tbsp pepper / kali mirch
Fry each in a dry pan and powder it.
Instructions
  1. Wash the rice gently and Soak for 30 minute.
  2. Wash the chicken with turmeric and drain the water and let it sit.
  3. Cut the onions lenghtwise.
  4. In a bow, add the red chilies, ginger and garlic. Let soak for 10 minutes in boiling water. Grind to a paste. Set aside.
  5. Chop the tomatoes.
  6. Cut the mint and cilantro.
  7. Take a heavy bottomed large pot to make the biryani.
  8. Add oil and ghee. Toss in the spices and make sure not to burn them. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions till it almost crispy and super soft.
  9. Now it's time to add the chilly paste. Saute and cook the paste until it loses it's raw smells of the ginger and garlic, this will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on low heat.
  10. Add the mint and cilantro and cook for another 2 minutes before you add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 2 minutes.
  11. Add the chicken, add salt, biryani masala and turmeric powder. Keep mixing and tossing the chicken very well and cook it until about 70 percent cooked. Add the yogurt. Mix very well. You should have very less liquid at this point. The water from the tomatoes should've evoporated.
  12. Pour the rice in. and the water. Mix well, check for salt. THis is the step you can add the salt. Let it come to a bubble. Once the rice with chicken comes to a bubble, pour in the juice of the lemon, Cover the pot with a secure tight lid, important. Now, using a heavy bottomed tawa, put the pot on the tawa and cook on dum for 30 minutes. The flame has to be very low, on simmer.
  13. After 30 minutes, switch off the flame and bring the pot on the countertop and let it sit for another 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy with raita of your choice
Notes
For the biryani masala, dry fry them and powder it. You can store this in a dry place. Use sparingly.
When cooking the rice, make sure to use only enough water. The rice is soaked, so you really don't need too much water. Also you don't need too much water because the rice grains are tiny.
If you feel like the chicken mixture is too watery, reduce the water.
Recipe by Food Fashion Party at https://www.foodfashionparty.com/2022/09/10/ambur-chicken-biryani/