Low Fat Malabar Biriyani ( No Ghee/ Butter added)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Oil – 2 tbs
  • Basmati rice – 3 cups
  • Onion – 1 (small)
  • Juice of 2 lime
  • Cinnamon stick – ½
  • Cardamom – 4-5
  • Cloves – 4-5
  • Salt – 2tsp
  • Water – 5 cups
  • For chicken :
  • Dry spices :
  • Cinnamon stick -2"
  • Cardamom pods - 5
  • Cloves - 4
  • Other ingredients:
  • Oil – 2 tbs
  • Chicken – 1kg (cut in to desired size)
  • Onion – 2(medium)
  • Ginger – 1’
  • Garlic – 6
  • Cuscus – ½tsp (optional)
  • Mint leaves – 1 hand full
  • Coriander leaves – 1 hand full
  • Green chilli – 4 - 6
  • Curry leaves – 2 stem
  • Tomato – 1(or ½ cup tomato puree)
  • Yogurt /curd– 3tbsp
  • Lime juice - 1 table spoon
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Spice mix for the chicken:
  • Cinnamon stick – ½
  • Cardamom – 5
  • Cloves – 6
  • Fennel seeds – ½tsp
  • Coriander powder – ½tsp
  • Garam masala – ½tsp
  • .
Instructions
  1. Stage 1:
  2. Soak the rice for 10 mts, drain and keep it aside.
  3. In a cooking vessel (you can prepare rice in the rice cooker also) add oil, when the oil heats up stir in all the ingredients for making rice except soaked rice, lime juice and water. Sauté it till the onion is soft and spices are aromatic.
  4. Add in the drained rice and fry for a few minutes till the grains are separated. Pour the water in to the pan and stir it a few times.
  5. Stir in the lime juice.
  6. Close the lid and cook the rice in medium heat once the water boils. The rice should be ¾ done. It will take around 8 mts. Once the rice is cooked make it fluffy using a fork. If you are not sure to cook the rice till ¾ done, you can add 7 cups of water and boil the rice for 10mts and drain in a colander (like making pasta). The rice should not be fullt cooked.
  7. Stage 2:
  8. Stage 1 and 2 can be done simultaneously to save time.
  9. Grind garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander leaves, mint leaves and cuscus in to fine paste.
  10. In a deep pan/vessel (which will fit both chicken and rice) add oil and dry spice, when the spices releases the aroma add in the sliced onion and curry leaves and sauté it till the onion is soft.
  11. Mix in the grinded chilli mixture and sauté it for a few more minutes. Add in the spice mix, tomatoes, yogurt and the chicken pieces. Mix well. Stir in the lime/lemon juice. Cook the chicken in medium heat for 10mts keeping it closed with a lid.
  12. Stage 3:
  13. When the chicken is cooked and bubbling reduce the gas to minimum and spread the cooked rice. Sprinkle few handfuls of water on the rice.
  14. You can fry a handful of cashew nuts and raisins along with 1 fried onion, spread as the top layer. (This step is optional)
  15. Cook for 10 - 15 mts in very low fire. If the lid is not properly sealed you can keep a bowl filled with hot water on top of the vessel.
  16. Notes:
  17. For best results the biriyani should sit for at least an hr before serving.
  18. Dry roast the spice mix and powder it if you don't want to bite on it.
  19. You can opt out Garam masala if you don’t have any. There won’t be any taste difference since we are adding dry spices both to the rice and chicken.
  20. If you tie the dry spices in a muslin cloth and add to the rice when cooking rice it’ll be easier for you to take it out before layering on the chicken. Some people don’t like to bite into spices.
Recipe by Seemology at https://www.seemology.com/healthy-malabar-biriyani/