Thalassery Biriyani

INGREDIENT – To serve 6 persons

Mutton medium pieces 1.25 kg
Sliced onion 500 g
Ginger crushed 2 inch piece
Garlic crushed 4 big cloves
Green chilli crushed 4 nos
Tomatoes chopped 2 nos
Curd 60 ml
Coriander leaves chopped 35 g
Mint leaves chopped 30 g
Refined oil 60 ml
Salt To Taste
Melam Thalassery Biriyani Masala 2½ – 3 tsp
Ghee 15 ml
Lemon ½ no
Rose water 30 ml
Pandanus leaf (Biriyani Kaitha) 1 no

TO MAKE GHEE RICE

Onion 75 g
Ghee 30 ml
Refined oil 70 ml
Kaima Rice 5 cups (1 cup – 200 g)
Hot water 7 ½ cups (1 cup is 150 ml)
Green Cardamom ½ tsp
Cloves ½ tsp
Cinnamon 1 stick
Mace scraped ½ tsp
Salt To Taste

COOKING METHOD

• Pressure cook the mutton and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a vessel.
• Add sliced onions and saute the onions until they start turning colour.
• Add the crushed ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute until the raw smell is gone.
• Add the Melam Thalassery Biriyani Masala and saute for a minute.
• Add tomatoes and saute. Once the tomatoes are mashed and the oil starts separating, add the curd and lemon juice.
• Season with salt.
• Then add the mutton.
• Cook further till the oil separates again.
• Finish with chopped mint, coriander leaves and pandanus leaves.
• Fluff up the ghee rice using a fork and transfer the rice on to the mutton masala.
• Drizzle 15 ml ghee and rose water.
• Cover and put on dum for 10 minutes.

N.B.: This biriyani can be prepared using chicken also.

TO MAKE GHEE RICE

COOKING METHOD

• Wash and drain the rice.
• Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed vessel.
• Add the spices and sliced onion, till onion becomes soft.
• Add the rice and saute till the rice is coated with oil.
• Add water and salt and mix well.
• When water level goes below the rice level, cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Transfer the vessel on to a pre-heated tawa.
• Cook further for 10 minutes on a very low flame and switch off the flame and leave it on the tawa.