Recipe: Bijitha's Thalissery Biryani

Thalassery in north Kerala is famous for its signature biryani that uses the special Thalassery black pepper. It gets its taste from the inclusion of star anise too and is made dum style.

Chef Bijitha Harish of Bhaskar's Kitchen, Chennai, shares her recipe for this classic biryani with Adrika Anand.

Bijitha hails from Malabar and is settled in Chennai. She gave up a job as a math teacher at a reputed school to become an entrepreneur, starting her own brand for home-cooked food. She specialises in Malabar cuisine and her Thalassery Dum Biryani, Kerala Stew and seafood dishes are particularly popular.

Thalassery Biryani

Serves: 7-8

Ingredients

For the masala:

• 1 kg chicken pieces
• 2 tsp salt
• 500 gm onions, finely sliced
• 3 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp crushed ginger
• 15 green chillies, crushed
• ½ cup yoghurt
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ cup chopped fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp brown dhania or coriander powder
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder + 1 tsp extra for marinating the chicken
• 1 cup birasta or crispy fried onions for serving

For the rice:

• 1 kg jeerakasala rice
• 5 tbsp ghee
• 10 cups boiling water
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp

Method

• Wash the chicken and let it drain.
  Mix the chicken with marinade ingredients -- turmeric powder, salt -- and keep aside for an hour.
• Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and sauté the onions until soft and translucent over medium heat.
  Add the crushed green chillies, ginger, garlic.
  Sauté for 3–4 minutes.
  Add the tomatoes, coriander powder.
  Cook over low heat for a few minutes.
  Add the marinated chicken, yoghurt.
  Stir well.
  Cover with a tight lid and cook until the chicken is done and most of the gravy is absorbed.
  Add the lime juice, chopped coriander leaves and take off heat.
  Keep aside.
• Wash and drain the rice for 10 minutes.
  Heat ghee in another large saucepan over medium heat.
  Add the rice and fry for 6-8 minutes until it starts to crackle.
  Pour in boiling water and add the salt.
  Cover and cook on high heat.
  When the water and rice are at the same level, reduce heat and cook covered for about 15 minutes and then take off heat.
• In a large serving dish or saucepan, layer the cooked chicken masala and rice alternately.
  Top with fried onions.
• Keep the biriyani dumfor 10 minutes.
  Serve hot.

Chef Bijitha Harish lives in Chennai.

• REDIFF FOOD