Tamilnadu Thalappakatti Biriyani

Tamilnadu Thalappakatti Biriyani.

Dindigul Thalappakatti Biriyani Recipe. Authentic South Indian Tamilnadu Biryani. Adapted from Chef Nagendran of Thalapakatttu Hotel.

We need garlic. Like lots of garlic. Indian garlic is ridiculously small. Peel the garlic. Crush the garlic in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside.

Peel shallots. We call it as chinna vengayam – small onions. Crush the shallots in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside.

The Thalappakatti Biriyani Masala I think this is what makes this Thalappakatti Biriyani very unique. The original recipe says to use 8 green chillies . I used only 2 as my little one loves this biriyani and I do not want him to scream for water while eating. You can use green chillies according to your taste. Grind all the below ingredients to a very fine smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup of water while grinding. Chop the ginger into small pieces and break the cinnamon into bits before grinding.

Soak the rice in water now. The rice needs to soak for half an hour.

Heat Oil and ghee in a heavy pan and add in the Thalappakatti Biriyani Masala paste, crushed garlic and crushed shallots-small onions. Fry on medium flame for a good 10 minutes until the oil separates from the mixture.

Add in the chicken. Add in the chilli powder. The ratio of rice to chicken should be 1 rice to 1.5 meat. Saute the chicken so the Thalappakatti Biriyani masala coats evenly. Reduce the flame to simmer and cover it with a lid and let it cook. Don’t add any water. The chicken will cook in its own juices. Just saute once in 5 minutes so the chicken doesn’t scorch in the bottom. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be done and there should be some gravy too.

Add in the yogurt/curd. Cook with the lid open for 5 minutes.

Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind. Mine had about 1.5 cups of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate.

Measurements used – 1 cup rice = 250 ml We are using 2 cups rice and 750 grams meat. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water . There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the mixture. Add salt. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and the mint leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil.

Add back the meat and let it come to a boil again. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Wait for it to boil. Add in the lime juice.

Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame. Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.

After that time, open the lid and see if the rice has been cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.

After the rest, Enjoy Thalappakatti Biriyani!

For the Masala

• 5 Green Chillies
• 3 small two inch cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1/8 th of a nutmeg (Jaadhikai)
• 1 small piece Mace (Jaadhi Pathiri)
• 50 grams ginger

Main Ingredients

• 500 ml Seeraga Samba Rice
• 750 grams Chicken with bone
• Meat to Rice Ratio – 1 Rice 1.5 Meat

Other Ingredients

• 25 grams Ghee
• 75 grams Sunflower Oil
• 50 grams crushed Garlic
• 50 grams crushed shallots (small onions)
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 hand full Mint Leaves
• 2 hand full Coriander Leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

1. Peel the garlic. Crush the garlic in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside. Crush the shallots in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside.
2. Grind all the masala ingredients to a very fine smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup of water while grinding. Chop the ginger into small pieces and break the cinnamon into bits before grinding.
3. Soak the rice in water now. The rice needs to soak for half an hour.
4. Heat Oil and ghee in a heavy pan and add in the Masala paste, crushed garlic and crushed shallots-small onions. Fry on medium flame for a good 10 minutes until the oil separates from the mixture.
5. Add in the chicken. Add in the chilli powder. The ratio of rice to chicken should be 1 rice to 1.5 meat. Saute the chicken so the masala coats evenly. Reduce the flame to simmer and cover it with a lid and let it cook. Don’t add any water. The chicken will cook in its own juices. Just saute once in 5 minutes so the chicken doesn’t scorch in the bottom. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be done and there should be some gravy too.
6. Add in the yogurt/curd. Cook with the lid open for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind. Mine had about 1.5 cups of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate.
8. We are using 2 cups rice and 750 grams meat. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water. There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the mixture. Add salt. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and the mint leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil.
9. Add back the meat and let it come to a boil again. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary.
10. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Wait for it to boil. Add in the lime juice.
11. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame. Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
12. After that time, open the lid and see if the rice has been cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.
13. After the rest, Enjoy!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Main course
• Cuisine: South Indian

For the Masala

• 5 Green Chillies
• 3 small two inch cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1/8 th of a nutmeg (Jaadhikai)
• 1 small piece Mace (Jaadhi Pathiri)
• 50 grams ginger

Main Ingredients

• 500 ml Seeraga Samba Rice
• 750 grams Chicken with bone
• Meat to Rice Ratio – 1 Rice 1.5 Meat

Other Ingredients

• 25 grams Ghee
• 75 grams Sunflower Oil
• 50 grams crushed Garlic
• 50 grams crushed shallots (small onions)
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 hand full Mint Leaves
• 2 hand full Coriander Leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

1. Peel the garlic. Crush the garlic in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside. Crush the shallots in a mixie without adding any water. Set aside.
2. Grind all the masala ingredients to a very fine smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup of water while grinding. Chop the ginger into small pieces and break the cinnamon into bits before grinding.
3. Soak the rice in water now. The rice needs to soak for half an hour.
4. Heat Oil and ghee in a heavy pan and add in the Masala paste, crushed garlic and crushed shallots-small onions. Fry on medium flame for a good 10 minutes until the oil separates from the mixture.
5. Add in the chicken. Add in the chilli powder. The ratio of rice to chicken should be 1 rice to 1.5 meat. Saute the chicken so the masala coats evenly. Reduce the flame to simmer and cover it with a lid and let it cook. Don’t add any water. The chicken will cook in its own juices. Just saute once in 5 minutes so the chicken doesn’t scorch in the bottom. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be done and there should be some gravy too.
6. Add in the yogurt/curd. Cook with the lid open for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind. Mine had about 1.5 cups of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate.
8. We are using 2 cups rice and 750 grams meat. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water. There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the mixture. Add salt. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and the mint leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil.
9. Add back the meat and let it come to a boil again. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary.
10. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Wait for it to boil. Add in the lime juice.
11. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame. Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
12. After that time, open the lid and see if the rice has been cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes more if necessary. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.
13. After the rest, Enjoy!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Main course
• Cuisine: South Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/tamilnadu-thalappakatti-biriyani/

Bhindi Masala, Ladies Finger Masala Recipe.

Bhindi Masala – This is a very simple recipe made with bhendi – vendakkai. This okra gravy is a semi-dry preparation and tastes well for roti / chapati.

There is this cute little thing that happens when buying bhindi in the Indian market. You can spot all the ladies trying to break the tip of each and every bhindi before putting it in their basket. The theory being that if the tip breaks, its a good one. If it doesn’t, its not. To break the tip of a bhindi in front of a shop keeper – its pretty liberating I say. If properly prepared, bhindi should never be slimy. This is a very simple recipe made with bhindi – vendakkai. This okra gravy Bhindi Masala is a semi-dry preparation and tastes very well with roti or chapati.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cut bhindi and salt. Fry on a very low flame till the bhindi is roasted and no more slimy. It will take a good 12-14 minutes on a low flame. Set aside.

In the mean time crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle or in a mixie. If grinding in a mixie, do not add any water. We just want it crushed. Not a paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add in the curry leaves and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add in the onions and fry on a low flame until the onions are nice and golden. It will take a good 10 minutes.

Once the onions are golden, add in the very finely chopped RIPE tomatoes. Add in the salt, turmeric, sambar powder, jaggery and asafoetida. Add in a few cashewnuts. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and streaks of oil start to appear on the top.

In the mean time when the tomatoes are cooking, take another pan and dry roast the sesame seeds and peanuts on a low flame. Dry roast briefly until the sesame seeds start to pop. Do not roast for a long time as the sesame seeds may turn bitter. Grind in a mixie to a fine powder. Set aside.

Now back to the main pan. Add in a cup of water to the onion and tomato mixture. Add in the bhindi and the sesame-peanut powder. Saute for a minute to combine. Remove off heat.

For frying Bhindi

• 250 grams Bhindi – okra
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the powder

• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 3 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Other Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 pod garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon sambar powder
• 6 - 7 cashew-nuts, broken

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cut bhindi and salt. Fry on a very low flame till the bhindi is roasted and no more slimy. It will take a good 12-14 minutes on a low flame. Set aside.
2. In the mean time crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle or in a mixie. If grinding in a mixie, do not add any water. We just want it crushed. Not a paste. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add in the curry leaves and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add in the onions and fry on a low flame until the onions are nice and golden. It will take a good 10 minutes.
5. Once the onions are golden, add in the very finely chopped RIPE tomatoes. Add in the salt, turmeric, sambar powder, jaggery and asafoetida. Add in a few cashewnuts. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and streaks of oil start to appear on the top.
6. In the mean time when the tomatoes are cooking, take another pan and
7. dry roast the sesame seeds and peanuts on a low flame. Dry roast briefly until the sesame seeds starts to pop. Do not roast for a long time as the sesame seeds may turn bitter. Grind in a mixie to a fine powder. Set aside.
8. Now back to the main pan. Add in a cup of water to the onion and tomato mixture. Add in the bhindi and the sesame-peanut powder. Saute for a minute to combine. Remove off heat. Serve hot.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Indian