Ambur Chicken Biryani

Name: Ambur Chicken Biryani
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: 12 Dried red chillies; ½ cup Hot water, for soaking; 750 g Chicken, bone-in, curry cut; ⅓ cup Oil; 1 tbsp Ghee; 1 inch Cinnamon stick; 4 Cloves; 3 Green cardamom pods; 1 Bay leaf; 2 Onions, thinly sliced; 10 Shallots, sliced; 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste; 2 Tomatoes, chopped; ½ cup Mint leaves; ½ cup Coriander leaves, chopped; ½ cup Thick yogurt; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 2 cups Seeraga samba rice; 3 cups Water

Tamil Nadu's famous Arcot-style biryani: short-grain seeraga samba rice cooked right in a brick-red chicken masala built on soaked dried chilli paste, mint and plenty of shallots.

Prep 30 min · Cook 45 min · Total 75 min + 30 min soaking · Serves 4

Ingredients

Chilli paste

12 Dried red chillies
½ cup Hot water, for soaking

Chicken masala

750 g Chicken, bone-in, curry cut
⅓ cup Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1 inch Cinnamon stick
4 Cloves
3 Green cardamom pods
1 Bay leaf
2 Onions, thinly sliced
10 Shallots, sliced
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
2 Tomatoes, chopped
½ cup Mint leaves
½ cup Coriander leaves, chopped
½ cup Thick yogurt
2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Lemon juice

Rice

2 cups Seeraga samba rice
3 cups Water

Method

Make the chilli paste. Soak the dried chillies in the hot water for 30 minutes, then grind with a little of the soaking water to a smooth paste. Soak the rice at the same time.
Build the masala. Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy pot. Add the whole spices, then the onions and shallots, and fry until soft and lightly golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until it smells cooked. Stir in the chilli paste and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the oil turns red and separates.
Cook the chicken. Add the tomatoes, mint, coriander and salt and cook until the tomatoes collapse. Add the chicken and yogurt, stir well, cover and cook on medium for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken is nearly done and the oil floats on top.
Add the rice. Pour in the water, bring to a rolling boil and taste; it should be slightly too salty. Add the drained rice and lemon juice, stir once gently and cook uncovered on medium-high until most of the water has been absorbed and small craters appear on the surface.
Dum and serve. Cover tightly and set the pot on a hot tawa over the lowest flame for 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, fluff gently with a fork and serve with onion pachadi (raita) and brinjal ennai kathirikai.

Tips

Seeraga samba absorbs less water than basmati: 1 1/2 cups liquid for each cup of rice is right. Ambur biryani gets its flavour from chilli paste and whole spices rather than garam masala, so resist adding powders.