Thalassery (Malabar) Biryaniതലശ്ശേരി ബിരിയാണി
⏱ Prep 30m🍳 Cook 60m🍽 Serves 6🌿 Non-veg
Video: HomeCookingShow (YouTube)
Thalassery biryani stands apart from every other Indian biryani in one essential way: it is built on kaima (jeerakasala) rice, a short, slender grain with a faint cumin-like scent that cooks quickly and stays separate under dum. The masala leans on fried onion, fresh coconut influence, and green chilies rather than dried spice heat, reflecting the Malabar coast's trade-route palate. Cashews and raisins fried in ghee go in the layers — not as garnish but as part of the dish.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪Kaima rice (jeerakasala / Malabar short-grain biryani rice)2.5 cups, rinsed
- ▪Chicken, curry-cut bone-in pieces1 kg
- ▪Onion, finely sliced4 large
- ▪Tomato, chopped2 medium
- ▪Ginger paste1.5 tbsp
- ▪Garlic paste1.5 tbsp
- ▪Green chili, slit6-8 (Serrano or Thai)
- ▪Full-fat yogurt0.5 cup
- ▪Coconut oil5 tbsp, divided
- ▪Ghee (clarified butter)3 tbsp, divided
- ▪Fresh mint leaves0.5 cup, loosely packed
- ▪Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)0.5 cup
- ▪Cashews20 whole
- ▪Raisins2 tbsp
- Whole spices (for rice water)
- ▪Cinnamon stick2-inch piece
- ▪Green cardamom pods6, lightly crushed
- ▪Cloves6
- Ground spices (for marinade)
- ▪Kashmiri red chili powder1.5 tsp
- ▪Turmeric0.5 tsp
- ▪Biryani masala powder1 tsp
🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions
- Kaima (jeerakasala) rice is the soul of this dish — available at South Asian grocery stores under names like Malabar biryani rice or jeerakasala. Basmati can substitute in a pinch: reduce par-cooking in step 4 to 5-6 minutes.
- Pre-made birista (fried onions) sold at South Asian grocers saves 20 minutes — use 1 cup packaged and proceed from step 3.
- Coconut oil is integral to Malabar character; if unavailable, use ghee throughout the cooking, not vegetable oil.
Method
- 1Marinate chicken with yogurt, 0.75 tbsp ginger paste, 0.75 tbsp garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric, biryani masala, and 1 tsp salt. Rest at least 30 minutes.
- 2Heat 4 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan on medium-high. Fry sliced onions in batches until deep golden-brown and crisp (birista), about 20 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. In the same oil, fry cashews until pale gold; remove. Fry raisins until puffed; remove. Reserve all three.
- 3In the remaining oil plus 1 tbsp ghee, cook the marinated chicken over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining ginger and garlic paste, green chilies, and tomatoes. Cook until chicken is 80% done and the masala is fragrant, about 15 minutes. Fold in half the fried onions, half the mint, and half the coriander. Remove from heat.
- 4Bring 5 cups water to a boil with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and 1.5 tsp salt. Add rinsed kaima rice and cook 7-8 minutes until 70% done — grains should still have a firm bite. Drain immediately.
- 5In a heavy-bottomed dum pot, spread half the par-cooked rice in an even layer. Spoon all the chicken masala over it, then cover with the remaining rice. Scatter the reserved fried onions, mint, coriander, cashews, and raisins on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp ghee.
- 6Seal the pot tightly with foil, then its lid. Cook on dum: 5 minutes on medium heat, then 20 minutes on the lowest flame (place on a tawa or iron skillet as a diffuser if needed).
- 7Rest sealed for 10 minutes. Open and gently stir from the edges with a wide spoon without breaking the grains. Serve with raita and pickle.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.