THALAPAKATTI STYLE CHICKEN BIRYANI

Thalapakatti Biryani or Dindigul Thalapakatti biryani is a very popular Biryani in Tamil Nadu. This flavorful and aromatic Biryani is made using a special rice called Seerga samba rice and tastes amazing. Thalapakatti Biryani restaurants are very popular in Chennai and other parts of India.

This recipe of Thalapakatti style Chicken Biryani tries to recreate the taste and aroma of the Thalapakatti Biryani that you get in restaurants. This Biryani is very different from the other Biryanis that I have shared on my blog. Here no tomatoes are used in the Biryani gravy which relies on onions, curd and garam masalas for its awesome taste.

Let's move on to the recipe of making Thalapakatti style Chicken biryani at home

Ingredients

1/2 kg chicken 

4 cups rice/ 400 gms rice

8 cups Water

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/3 cup curd

1 tsp lemon juice

handful of coriander leaves

handful of mint leaves

To grind to a powder

6 Cinnamon sticks

1 Bay leaf 

10 Cloves

4 Cardamoms

12 Cashews 

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2  tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp peppercorns

To grind to a paste

4 onions roughly cut/ or 20 shallots

2 green chillies

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1/2 cup mint leaves

Method

• Measure 400 gms rice in your measuring cup. I have a 100 gms cup, so I took 4 cups rice and hence used 8 cups water to cook the rice. (If you have a big measuring cup, then use the same cup to measure rice and take 2 times water) 
• Wash and soak rice in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile grind the spices along with cashews to a fine powder. Keep ready.
• In the same way, grind onions and other ingredients to a smooth paste and keep ready.
• Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed pan or pressure cooker and add the onion paste.
• Saute for a few minutes till the raw smell goes.
• Next add garlic and ginger pastes and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Then add the grounded spice powder, salt, red chilli powder and mix well.
• Cook for a couple of minutes.
• Then add curd, chicken pieces, coriander and mint leaves and mix well. Cook for a minute.
• Then add 2 cups water and bring the gravy to a boil.
• Add lime juice and close a lid. Let the chicken cook in medium flame for 10 minutes.
• Then open the lid, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Check for taste, add salt or red chilli powder if necessary.
• When water starts boiling, drain away the water from the soaked rice and add the rice to the cooker.
• Cook it in open flame for 5 to 10 minutes. 
• When most of the water has evaporated, close a lid and let it cook in low flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once done, switch off the gas.
• Transfer the Thalapakatti Chicken Biryani to a serving plate and serve hot with Onion raita and Boiled Eggs.

I hope you liked tis recipe of Thalapakatti style Chicken Biryani and will try it out at home. For more Biryani recipes you can check out the below post.

Biryani Recipes

 

I am participating Blogchatter's A to Z challenge and today's alphabet is T. Stay tuned for another recipe coming tomorrow starting with the letter U.