Biriyani is one of those one pot meal which you can serve on special occasions. Here I’ve simplified the biryani recipe to have this exotic dish in a healthy way. Malabar biriyani is said to be brought to India by the Arab traders to Calicut (Kozhikode) in South India. And Calicut is in the Malabar region of Kerala.. hence you can say that Malabar biriyani is the mother of all biriyani’s in India.. 🙂

This is a quick version of the traditional Dhum Biriyani. This preparation you can do it even in a deep frying pan. This is made in 3 stages:

1. Cooking of rice

2. Cooking of chicken

3. Layering of rice and chicken(Dhum)

You can cook chicken and rice simultaneously to save time. To make it more delicious you can add clarified butter (ghee) instead of oil.
Serves: 8

Preparation time: 15mts

Cooking time: ½ hr.
Ingredients for rice:

  • 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

Stage 1:

  1. Soak the rice for 10 mts, drain and keep it aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Stir in the lime juice.
  5.  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.

Ingredients for chicken:

Dry spices :

Cinnamon stick -2″

Cardamon pods – 5

Cloves – 4

Other ingredients:

  • Oil – 2 tbs
  • Chicken – 1kg (cut in to desired size)
  • Onion – 2(medium)
  • Ginger – 1’
  • Garlic – 6
  • Cuscus – 1/2tsp (optional)
  • Mint leaves – 1 hand full
  • Coriander leaves – 1 hand full
  • Green chilli – 4 – 6
  • Curry leaves – 2 stem
  • Tomato – 1(or 1/2 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 – 1/2tsp
  • Coriander powder – 1/2tsp
  • Garam masala – 1/2tsp

Stage 2:
Stage 1 and 2 can be done simultaneously to save time.

  1. Grind garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander leaves, mint leaves and cuscus in to fine paste.
  2.  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.
  3. 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.

Stage 3:

  1. 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.
  2. You can fry a handful of cashew nuts and raisins along with 1 fried onion, spread as the top layer. (This step is optional)
  3. IMG_2159.jpgresize
  4. 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.

Notes:

  •  For best results the biriyani should sit for at least an hr before serving.
  •  Dry roast the spice mix and powder it if you don’t want to bite on it.
  •  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.
  •  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.

 

Low Fat Malabar Biriyani ( No Ghee/ Butter added)
 
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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.