Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani

Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani is a flavorful and aromatic rice dish that originates from the region of Thalappakettai in Tamil Nadu, India. This traditional biryani recipe has gained immense popularity in recent years and there are restaurants opened by the same name serving this flavorful biryani. The word “Thalappaketti” translates to “head box” in Tamil, and it refers to the method of cooking the biryani. Traditionally, the ingredients of the biryani, including marinated chicken and fragrant spices, are layered with partially cooked rice in a large, sealed vessel called a “thalappaketti” or “dum handi.” This vessel is then sealed with dough, creating a tight lid to trap the steam and flavors, allowing the biryani to cook slowly in its own juices.

I have tried to recreate the Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani with a simpler cooking process which all of us can easily follow at home. Though I have always been a fan of layered biryanis, making them does take a lot more time and effort. So when I want to make something quick, it is always the pressure cooker biryani or the one-pot biryani recipes that I follow. This Chicken Biryani is made in a single pot and the chicken and rice cook together on low flame, ensuring the flavours are well absorbed. The best part about this recipe is that it requires minimal cutting and chopping. All the key ingredients and spices are ground together to make the base masala for this biryani.

A special variety of short-grained rice called Jeeraga Samba is used to make this biryani. However, if you do not have this, you can use any other variety of commonly available short grained rice for this recipe. With this easy-to-make and follow method for this Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani, it surely is going one of your favorite biryanis to make. And the flavors will be certainly loved by everyone in the family too. So do give it a try!

Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani

Course: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

An easy-to-make recipe for the famous Thalappaketti Chicken Biryani, with minimal cutting and chopping!

Ingredients

• For the ground masala

• Cinnamon Stick – 1 one-inch piece

• Cardamom – 2

• Cloves – 2

• Mace – 1

• Star Anise – 1

• Stone Flower (Pathar Phool) – 2-3

• Fennel Seeds – 1.5 tsp

• Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

• Shallots – 6-7 (about 50 gms), peeled

• Ginger – 3-inch piece, peeled

• Garlic – 3-4 tbsp, peeled

• Green Chilli – 3

• Other Ingredients

• Jeeraga Samba Rice – 1.5 cups, soaked for 30 min

• Ghee – 1 tbsp

• Oil – 2 tbsp

• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

• Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

• Salt – as per taste

• Curd – 6 tbsp, whisked

• Mint Leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped

• Coriander Leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped

• Chicken – 500 gms, cleaned and cut

• Hot Water – 2.75 cups

• Lemon Juice – 2 tsp

Directions

• nto the mixie jar, add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, mace, star anise, stone flower, fennel seeds and cumin seeds and powder it.
• To this, add the shallots, ginger, garlic and green chilli and grind it all together to a paste. Keep this aside.
• Add ghee and oil and once it heats up, add the ground masala mix, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and saute everything till oil starts releasing.
• To this, add the curd, mint and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Add the chicken to this and mix everything and let it cook covered for 5 min till chicken starts releasing its water. Add the hot water to this and let it come to a boil.
• Add the drained rice along with lemon juice and mix everything well.
• Cover and cook on high flame for 5 min and then lower the heat and cook till the rice is almost cooked and has absorbed most of the water.
• Mix it well and then cover and turn off the heat. Keep this aside for 15 min and then serve hot.

Recipe Video