Thalassery biryani

Kaima rice instead of basmati, which its own source makes the whole difference.

Chicken. Not vegetarian — contains chicken.

Ingredients

500 g kaima rice, also sold as jeerakasala
1.2 kg chicken on the bone, in pieces
250 ml plain yoghurt
4 onions, sliced
3 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste
4 green chillies, chopped
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, Persian cumin
1 teaspoon ground mace
6 green cardamom pods
a 5 cm stick of cinnamon
8 cloves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
80 g cashew nuts
40 g raisins
100 g ghee
2 teaspoons salt
a large handful of coriander leaves
a handful of mint leaves

Method

KAIMA RICE INSTEAD OF BASMATI, WHICH ITS OWN SOURCE MAKES THE WHOLE DIFFERENCE. The sentence is unambiguous: UNLIKE OTHER BIRYANI DISHES, THALASSERY BIRYANI IS MADE USING KAIMA (ALSO KNOWN AS JEERAKASALA), AN INDIAN AROMATIC RICE, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL BASMATI RICE. Kaima is short and round where basmati is long and thin, and it does not separate into distinct grains in the same way -- so this biryani is softer and clumps a little, and that is correct rather than a fault.
SO DO NOT SUBSTITUTE BASMATI AND CALL IT THIS. A long-grain biryani made the same way is a good dinner and a different dish. Kaima is sold as jeerakasala and keeps the name on the packet.
AND THE SPICE IS CARAWAY, WHICH THE SOURCE ALSO NAMES. IN THALASSERY BIRYANI CARAWAY OR PERSIAN CUMIN IS USED, with mace among the spices. Caraway is not cumin and the difference is obvious in the pot.
WASH THE RICE AND DRAIN IT, BUT DO NOT SOAK IT LONG. Ten minutes. Kaima is a short grain and soaks fast; half an hour and it breaks in the parboiling.
FRY THE ONIONS, CASHEWS AND RAISINS SEPARATELY AND KEEP THEM BACK. All three in ghee, each to its own colour, lifted out. They go on top at the end and are a large part of what this biryani tastes like.
COOK THE CHICKEN IN YOGHURT WITH THE GROUND AND WHOLE SPICES UNTIL THE SAUCE IS THICK. Twenty-five minutes, no water. Chicken gives up enough liquid of its own.
PARBOIL THE RICE IN SALTED WATER WITH THE CARAWAY, THREE MINUTES ONLY, AND DRAIN. Short grain, short boil.
LAYER, SEAL AND GIVE IT TWENTY MINUTES ON THE LOWEST HEAT. Chicken, rice, the fried onions, cashews and raisins, the herbs and lemon juice, and ghee over. Then rest it ten minutes before opening.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes