Thalassery Chicken Dum Biriyani

                                                                               

Well, it's New Year Eve today. Guess, we all have our New Year Resolutions ready. Just in case,before any Resolutions for Weight loss are  made why not try the famous "Thalassery Biriyani"  :)

Yup, that's right!What's more to look forward to a Malabar wedding than to enjoy the famous and delicious Biriyani!!

In my hometown, we have another special dish known as 'Aleesa', which is served as the first course before the Biriyani. Insha'Allah, I will be posting this recipe in the near future.

Mutton Biriyani and Chicken Biriyani are equally famous. For the time being, let's try out the Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

For Masala:

Onion - 5 big sliced finely
Tomato - 3 large
Green Chilly - 10 -grinded
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Chopped Corriander and Mint leaves - 3 tbsp
Lemon Juice - juice of 1 medium sized lemon
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
RKG / Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Chicken Fry

Chicken - medium sized pieces - 1 kg
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger garic paste - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

For Dum:

Fried onions - 2 medium
Fried cashew nuts and raisins - 1/2 cup each
Chopped Corriander and Mint leaves - 3 tbsp each
Yellow colour - as required
Garam masala- as required

Preparation Method:

First step is to prepare the Ghee Rice.

Next, lets keep the Dum ingredients ready.

Dum ingredients include fried cashew and raisins, fried onions, yellow colour and garam masala powder.
While frying the onions sprinkle little salt over the onions so that they remain crisp.

Next to prepare the chicken. Clean the chicken and cut into medium sized pieces and drain.
Cook the chicken with chilly powder, turmeric, salt and little water. Once the chicken is ready, fry the chicken pieces and keep aside.

Here we needs two large cooking pans. Once for making the ghee rice and the other for making the masala.

Heat the ghee and oil required for making the masala. Saute the onions, grinded green chillies and ginger garlic paste well till the onions start becoming translucent. Cover with lid and keep on low flame, so that the onions gets cooked really well and changes its clour to dark brown. Take care not to burn the onions. The masala tastes as good as how well the onions are sauted. Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute well again. Add the chopped leaves, garam masala powder, lemon juice, salt as required.

Cover with lid and keep on low flame, till the tomatoes are well cooked and gets smashed well in the masala.
Now, add the fried chicken. Mix well till the masala gets coated well on the chicken. Cover, keep on low flame till there in no excess water and the masala gets dry.
                                                        
All, right, take a deep breath, we are going towards the finishing step which is called the DUM. :)

First, lets layer the masala with one level of rice. Put the dum ingredients on the rice- few cashews and raisins, chopped dhanya and mint leaves, sprinkle of food colour- this actually depends on how yellow you like your Biriyani to be, few fried onions, sprinkle of garam masala powder.

Next we have to repeat the process, layer of rice then the dum ingredients, till the last level will be the dum.

Cover with lid,  and keep on very low flame for around 5 mins. Remove from flame.

Now we have to remove the rice and move into another pan. Mix the rice well so that all our dum ingredients gets mixed well. Please note that Masala and Biriyani rice are served sperately.

Our Thalassery Biriyani is ready !! Serve it hot with cucumber raita and spicy corriander chutney.....

"  Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous 2012 !!! "