Ambur Biryani

Ambur Biryani

Ambur Biryani is very popular in Tamil Nadu. Recipe from today’s Hindu News paper (27/05/2012).

After strictly following the recipe, I got a suggestion to make. This will enhance the flavour and taste of Biryani.

Before cooking 1 kg mutton pieces, marinate the pieces with 2 tablespoons ginger - garlic paste, 2 tablespoon thick curd, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon red chilli powder at least for an hour.

HOW IT’S MADE

Ingredients

1 kg rice

1 kg mutton

Refined oil 300 ml

Garlic 100 gm – ground

Ginger 100 gm – ground

Chilli powder 30 gm

Clove

Cinnamon

Onion 100 gm

Tomato 100 gm

Curd 100 gm

Mint and coriander leaves

Lime – 2 nos

Salt

Method

Heat oil in a vessel. Sprinkle curd. Add to it clove, cinnamon and elachi. Sauté the garlic paste first and then the ground ginger. Both garlic and ginger are never ground together.

The mutton is now added, along with salt, to the other ingredients in the vessel. Onion goes in next and then the tomato. Everything is stirred together for just about a minute.

Add coriander and mint leaves to the mixture along with the remaining curd. Add a litre and a half of water and keep the vessel closed under low fire.

Meanwhile parboil rice, filter the water and keep the rice aside.

When the mutton is cooked, add the rice to it. Close the vessel tight and put out the fire.

(Recipe given by C. Jamal Basha, the biryani master of Rahamaniya, Ambur)

Homestyle method of final dum

In a heavy - bottomed vessel or biryani pot, spread a layer o f mutton masala (including gravy) and half portion of cooked rice. Make 2 layers with cooked rice and mutton masala.

Gently put a wet towel over it.

Cover with a tight lid. Seal with maida dough on the edges of the lid. Heat a heavy - bottomed iron kadai. Keep biryani pot over it. Cook on a low heat for 35 - 40 minutes. You can find a color change on the maida seal. Open the seal carefully. Decorate with chopped coriander and mint leaves. Serve with hot with Raita and spicy brinjal curry / boiled egg.