Ambur Chicken Biryani with Seeraga Samba Rice

Name: Ambur Chicken Biryani with Seeraga Samba Rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 57 min
Total time: 1 h 22 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients: 2.2 lb (1000 g) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skinned, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces through the bone, patted dry; 1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk yogurt (curd), full-fat, whisked smooth; 8 whole (12 g) dried Kashmiri red chilies, stems removed, soaked in hot water 15 minutes, drained and ground to a smooth paste with 2 tbsp of the soaking water; 3 tbsp (45 g) ginger-garlic paste, fresh, store-bought or homemade; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground turmeric; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained; 4 tsp (24 g) fine sea salt, divided: 2 tsp (12 g) for the marinade, 2 tsp (12 g) for the cooking water; 2 cups (400 g) seeraga samba rice, rinsed in 3 changes of water until mostly clear, then soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained for 10 minutes; 4 tbsp (60 g) ghee, divided: 3 tbsp (45 g) for frying, 1 tbsp (15 g) for finishing; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil; 2 whole (1 g) bay leaves; 1 inch (3 g) cinnamon stick, 2.5 cm piece; 4 whole (½ g) whole cloves; 4 whole (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 1 whole (1 g) star anise; 3 medium (450 g) large onions, halved and thinly sliced; 3 whole (15 g) green chilies, slit lengthwise; 1 cup (30 g) fresh mint leaves, packed, coarsely chopped, divided in half; 1 cup (30 g) fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and tender stems, packed, coarsely chopped, divided in half; 2 cups (480 ml) hot water, just boiled

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A Tamil Nadu-style biryani in which bone-in chicken is cooked in a chili, curd, mint and coriander masala. Small-grain seeraga samba rice is then cooked in the same pot and finished by dum (sealed steaming). It's fragrant and moderately spicy, with a tangy edge from the curd and lemon.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 57 min
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 32 min
Makes: About 8 cups biryani (6 generous servings)

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken and marinade
2¼ lb (1000 g) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skinned, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces through the bone, patted dry
1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk yogurt (curd), full-fat, whisked smooth
8 whole (12 g) dried Kashmiri red chilies, stems removed, soaked in hot water 15 minutes, drained and ground to a smooth paste with 2 tbsp of the soaking water
3 tbsp (45 g) ginger-garlic paste, fresh, store-bought or homemade
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground turmeric
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained
4 tsp (24 g) fine sea salt, divided: 2 tsp (12 g) for the marinade, 2 tsp (12 g) for the cooking water
For the rice and masala
2 cups (400 g) seeraga samba rice, rinsed in 3 changes of water until mostly clear, then soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained for 10 minutes
4 tbsp (60 g) ghee, divided: 3 tbsp (45 g) for frying, 1 tbsp (15 g) for finishing
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil
2 whole (1 g) bay leaves
1 inch (3 g) cinnamon stick, 2.5 cm piece
4 whole (0.5 g) whole cloves
4 whole (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 whole (1 g) star anise
3 medium (450 g) large onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 whole (15 g) green chilies, slit lengthwise
1 cup (30 g) fresh mint leaves, packed, coarsely chopped, divided in half
1 cup (30 g) fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and tender stems, packed, coarsely chopped, divided in half
2 cups (480 ml) hot water, just boiled

Equipment (7)

6-quart (5.5 L) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a tight lid
Flat griddle (tawa) or heat diffuser
Blender or mortar for the chili paste
Large bowl for marinating
Fine-mesh sieve for rinsing and draining rice
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2½ hours in total. The chicken marinates for 1 hour while the rice soaks, so start both together.
Seeraga samba is a small, short-grain rice, so it cooks quickly and needs less water than basmati. Measure the water exactly and do not stir the rice once it is in the pot.
Use a heavy-bottomed pot of about 6 quarts (5.5 L) with a tight-fitting lid. Have a flat griddle (tawa) or heat diffuser and a sheet of foil ready for the dum step.
Dried Kashmiri chilies give color with moderate heat. Use hotter chilies only if you want a very spicy biryani.

1
Marinate chicken, soak rice
- Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 15 minutes, then grind them with 2 tablespoons of the soaking water to a smooth paste.
- In a large bowl, combine the chili paste, curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of the salt.
- Add the chicken and turn to coat every piece.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- While it marinates, rinse the rice in 3 changes of water, then soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.
- Drain it well in a sieve and let it sit for 10 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a deep red marinade; soaked rice grains are opaque white and break easily when pressed
Tip: Don't marinate the chicken for more than 4 hours. The lemon juice and curd can make the meat mushy.
2
Brown the onions
- Set the pot over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the ghee and the oil.
- When the ghee melts and shimmers, add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise.
- Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt from your 2 teaspoons of cooking-water salt (it speeds browning).
- Fry, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Scoop about one third of the onions onto a plate to use as topping.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onions are deep golden brown and soft, with darker edges but no black bits
Tip: Lower the heat to medium once the onions begin to color. They go from brown to bitter quickly.
3
Cook the chicken masala
- To the onions left in the pot, add the green chilies and half of the chopped mint and coriander.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade.
- Cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the chicken turns opaque, the curd reduces to a thick gravy and oil starts to separate at the edges.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Gravy is thick and clings to the chicken, with oil pooling at the edges; chicken is opaque outside and about 80% cooked
Tip: If the curd looks split, that is normal. Keep stirring and it will come together as the water cooks off.
4
Add water and season
- Pour in the 2 cups (480 ml) hot water and add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt.
- Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about 3 minutes.
- Taste the liquid.
- It should taste pleasantly salty, like well-seasoned soup, because the rice will absorb it.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Liquid is at a steady rolling boil and tastes well salted
Tip: Add salt now, not later. Rice that has already been layered cannot be seasoned afterward.
5
Boil the rice
- Gently spread the drained rice over the chicken and liquid in an even layer, without stirring.
- Boil uncovered over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the liquid has dropped to the level of the rice and the surface looks bubbly.
- Press a grain between your fingers.
- It should break easily but still have a firm white core.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Liquid is level with the top of the rice and a grain is about 70% cooked with a thin white core
Tip: Do not stir. Stirring breaks the small grains and makes the biryani sticky.
6
Layer and seal
- Scatter the reserved fried onions and the remaining mint and coriander over the rice.
- Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee.
- Cover with a sheet of foil, pressing it down around the rim, then set the lid on top so no steam escapes.
- Place the flat griddle or heat diffuser on the burner and set the pot on it.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Lid and foil are tight with no steam escaping around the edges
Tip: Place something heavy on the lid if it doesn't fit snugly. A good seal is what makes dum work.
7
Dum steam
- Cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
- The remaining liquid steams the rice through and the chicken finishes cooking in the trapped steam.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: A steady, faint hiss and a fragrant aroma. Rice grains are tender and separate, and a chicken thigh reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part
Tip: If you smell burning, move the pot off the heat for a minute. The diffuser should prevent this.
8
Rest and fluff
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot sealed for 10 minutes.
- Remove the foil and lid.
- Check that a chicken piece reads at least 165°F (74°C) with a thermometer.
- With a flat spoon, fold the rice gently from the edges to the center, lifting from the bottom so the chicken masala mixes through the rice.
- Serve hot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Grains are separate and fluffy, and the chicken is tender and falling off the bone at 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Fold gently. Vigorous stirring breaks the grains.

Good to know

Tips

Seeraga samba is fragrant and absorbs the masala well, but it breaks easily. Handle it gently and never stir after layering.
Keep the gravy thick before adding water. A watery masala leads to mushy rice.
Serve with onion-cucumber raita and a boiled egg or brinjal curry (ennai kathirikai) for a traditional meal.
If the bottom of the pot starts to scorch during dum, the heat is too high. Always use a tawa or diffuser.

Make ahead

"Marinate the chicken up to 4 hours ahead in the fridge. The chili paste can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Fry the onions up to 1 day ahead. Cook the biryani just before serving for the best rice texture."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after cooking. Fridge: cool within 2 hours, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 2 months in portions. Reheat with 1 tablespoon of water per serving, covered, in a microwave or in a pan over low heat until steaming hot (165°F/74°C)."

Substitutions

seeraga samba rice → basmati rice. Soak 30 minutes and use 2½ cups (600 ml) hot water in total, boiling it for 6 to 7 minutes before the dum. The result is longer and fluffier grains.
ghee → unsalted butter. Use the same amount for the finishing step. The flavor is less nutty.
dried Kashmiri red chilies → 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder mixed with 2 tbsp water. Use when you can't find dried chilies. The heat and color will be similar.
plain whole-milk yogurt (curd) → plain Greek yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp water. Gives the same tang; whisk well before marinating.