Thalassery Biryani /Thalassery Chicken Biryani Recipe

Thalassery is a region in the State of Kerala, India.. Thalassery Biryani from this region is very famous.  Thalassery Biryani is made with kaima or jeerakasala rice the short grain aromatic rice ..the recipe is quite simple and easy to make  ..do try you will like this simple yet aromatic Biryani .. This recipe is adapted from  my friend Suhaina's blog 

When we visited Kerala I got chance of tasting  this scrumptious meal  we feasted on this all the days of our stay and brought along a bag of kaima rice .I made Kerala style ghee rice coconut rice and tried all the possible dishes with it in the past two years .There was just 2 cup of rice left and thought of making this Biryani again to click some pics for the blog.I have to now wait until I next visit Kerala and get my supply of kaima /jeerakasala rice from there ..

Ingredients
2 cup jeerakasala /kaima rice
1 tsp Ghee
1 inch cinnamon
3-4 cloves
5-6 green cardamom
1 star anise
2 blades of mace.
1 tsp ghee

For the chicken masala
1/2 kg s chicken
3 onions
2 medium tomatoes
1 tbsp gg paste
5-7 green  chillies
Handful Mint leaves
Small bunch Coriander leaves .
1 tbsp lemon juice


for layering
10-12 Cashews
1 tbsp raisins
Saffron dissolved on 3 tbsp milk
ghee
salt

To dry roast and powder
2 inch Cinnamon
4-5 cloves
2 Javitri/mace
1 tsp Fennel seeds
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Jeera
1/2 nutmeg broken
Dry roast all this and powder it .

Method

Chicken Masala

• Marinate chicken with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile fry onions till golden brown and  and keep aside .
• Fry the cashew and raisins and keep aside .
• Heat oil in a vessel the same oil in which onions were fried can be used.
• Add bay leaves, ginger garlic paste and chopped onion and fry well till raw smell goes off.
• Add chopped green chillies and tomatoes and cook till oil releases and the tomatoes turn Soft .
• Add the chicken pieces and saute for few minutes
• Then add 1tsp of garam masala powder  and coriander and mint leaves and fry for few minutes.
• Add about 1 cup water and let it cook
• Cover with the lid and cook on medium flame till Chicken is cooked.
• Switch the flame off and put lemon juice .

Prepare the rice

• Heat vessel add 1 tbsp oil .
• Then add 3-4 cardamom ,bay leaves , cinnamon,star anise,mace and 3-4 cloves .
• I also added 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• Once the seeds splutter add the rice and saute for few minutes .
• The add salt 1 tsp ghee and water and cook till 80% done .

Layering the Biryani

• You can layer this rice on the masala and then sprinkle nuts and fried onions
• I prefer to layer the rice first then the chicken masala sprinkle some corinader and mint leaves  and fried onions .
• Then put the remaining half layer of rice.
• Sprinkle nuts,a pinch of garam masala powder,fried onions ,rose water and saffron milk.
• With help of spoon pour 2 tsp ghee over the rice .
• Cover with a lid or foil and cook on dum.
• Cook on low flame for 15 minutes or keep a tava below the vessel and cook on dum for 15 minutes.
• Serve with dates pickle .

The above garam masala can be stored in an airtight container use for making Biryani.
If you can't find khaima or jeerakasala rice try making it with basmati or kolam.
You can also make rice in pressure cooker.