Ambur Biryani

Ingredients

• - 2 cups seeraga samba rice
• - 500g chicken
• - 1/2 cup thick yogurt
• - 3 large onions
• - 2 tomatoes
• - 4 tbsp oil
• - 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• - Whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves)
• - Fresh mint and coriander
• - Saffron in warm milk
• - Salt to taste

Method

1. Marinate mutton: Mix 750g mutton with 1 cup thick yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, half tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, juice of 1 lemon and salt. Marinate overnight.
2. Fry birista: Slice 3 onions thinly. Deep fry until very dark brown and crispy. Drain on paper. Reserve the frying oil.
3. Parboil seeraga samba rice: Wash 2.5 cups seeraga samba rice. Soak 20 minutes. Boil in salted water 6 minutes. Drain at 60% cooked.
4. Prepare mint and coriander: Chop 1 bunch fresh mint and 1 bunch coriander leaves finely.
5. Cook mutton: In a heavy pot, heat the birista frying oil. Add marinated mutton and cook on high heat 10 minutes until mutton is nearly cooked.
6. Layer biryani: Spread the cooked mutton as the base. Layer parboiled rice on top. Sprinkle birista, mint, coriander and 4 tbsp ghee.
7. Add saffron milk: Mix a pinch of saffron in 3 tbsp warm milk. Drizzle over the rice.
8. Seal and dum cook: Cover with tight lid sealed with dough. Cook on very low heat for 30-35 minutes on a flat iron tawa.
9. Rest: Off heat, rest sealed for 10 minutes.
10. Serve: Ambur biryani is famous for its small-grain rice and intense spice. Serve with brinjal chutney and onion raita.