South Indian chicken biryani recipe, the most delicious and flavorful chicken biryani. Biryani is a classic Indian dish that is often served for many occasions and dinner as well. Making a chicken biryani is a lengthy process but once you taste you will know that all your efforts were totally with it. A unique recipe prepared by grinding spices,it has a deep flavored aroma made from a mixture of spices, prepared with Jeera samba rice with meat or chicken. Samba rice,which is the traditional rice in southern India,which is aromatic rice. The tiny-grained seeraga samba gets its name from its resemblance to cumin,which is known as seeragam or seera in Tamil Nadu,and is the most expensive rice grown in that southern India state. Seeraga samba is an ingredient in biriyani,a traditional Indian dish.

Preparation time – 15 min

Cooking time – 25 min

Serves – 4

Ingredients – 

Chicken – 1 kg cut into medium pieces

Jeera samba rice (Jeerge sambar akki in kannada) – 2 cup

Ingredients to grind –

Onion – 3 medium chopped roughly

Red chilies – 15 to 20 no’s

Garlic – 3 medium sized

Ginger – 2 inch chopped roughly

Clove – 10 no’s

Cinnamon – 6 small sticks

Coconut – 1/2 cup

Procedure to make or to prepare south Indian style chicken biryani –

To grind –  

1.Make a paste of onion and red chilies separately by adding little water make a coarse paste and keep aside.

2.Make a paste of ginger, garlic, cloves and cinnamon without adding water, make a coarse paste.

3.Make a paste of coconut by adding water and keep ready.

Clean, rinse chicken pieces twice or thrice in water and drain out the water in it. Heat a pressure pan add drained chicken pieces into it, add salt, cook the chicken in a medium flame till the water in the chicken evaporates fully,

add 1 measure of water and cook chicken till half done, and set aside.

Ingredients for tempering –

Onion – 1 chopped

Mint – 1 bunch chopped

Coriander leaves – 1 bunch chopped

Fenugreek leaves – 1 small bunch chopped

Coriander powder – 1 tbs

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

Ghee – 1 tbs

Dry spices –

Bay leaf – 3 no’s

Mace – 2 no’s

Star anise – 2 no’s

Fennel seed – 1 tsp

Cardamom – 4 no’s

Heat a heavy bottomed pan or casserole by adding oil in it, when it is hot add dry spices and saute for a while.

Add chopped onion and fry until it turns translucent.

Add ginger garlic, cinnamon,clove paste saute until you get a fresh aroma

Add onion, red chilly paste and saute till oil separates from the sides of the pan.

Add coconut paste and saute

Add chopped herbs and saute until you get a nice aroma.

Add half cooked chicken into it and saute altogether and close the lid, cook in a low flame for 5 min.

Add 1 tbs of coriander powder, toss well

Add chicken stock and water to cook 2 cup of rice (Totally 3 and a 1/2 cup of water to cook 2 cup of jeera samba rice)

check the taste, add salt to taste. Bring it to boil.

Wash jeera samba rice once in water drain the water in it, add it to the boiling mixture. stir,close the lid and cook for 15 min in a low flame, stir once or twice in between before it is done.

when it is done, add 1 tbs of ghee all around . Mix altogether properly.

Cover the lid and turn off the flame.

Classic south Indian aromatic biryani is ready to serve, Enjoy hot with salad, side dishes and chutney.