Ambur Chicken Biryani, a delicious and flavorful biryani made from chicken and jeeraga samba rice. From the tv show "Sutralam Suvaikalam", i got to know about this Biryani, the ingredients are almost the same as we normally use for biryani, but the procedure and when to add what is somewhat interesting and unique in this biryani making and that's give wonderful aroma and taste to the biryani. I had tried this biryani with both mutton and chicken in the same process and both turned out so aromatic and yummy. The key ingredient to get the authentic taste of Ambur style biryani is the jeeraga samba rice, the flavorful of this rice is quite unique and makes the best biryani.

Traditionally the Ambur biryanis are cooked in "Dum" process, since that's a long process i have chosen the pressure cooking method of making this biryani and to my surprise it turned out amazingly well too. Making garlic & ginger paste separately and saute them till aromatic and using freshly grounded chili paste instead of red chili powder are the key things in this process of making biryani. So what are you waiting for, make this regional famous biryani on the weekend and enjoy with your family.

Ambur Chicken Biryani | Biryani Recipe

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Biryani | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Chicken - 200gms
Jeeraga Samba rice - 1/2 cup
Onion -1 
Tomato - 1 
Red Chili - 5
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 2 tsp 
Curd - 2  tbsp
Mint & coriander leaves - a handful each
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cloves - 5 
Cardamom - 2
Ghee - 1 & 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp 
Water - 1 cup
Salt 

Procedure

First clean the chicken and soak the rice in the water for 30 secs. Soak the red chili in hot water for 30 and grind into smooth paste, keep curd and ginger & garlic ready. Cut the onions into thin slices and tomatoes into small pieces. Roughly chop the coriander and mint leaves and keep everything ready.Heat the pressure cooker with oil and ghee, add the cinnamon,cloves and cardamom, saute it in the oil-ghee mixture for 30 secs, then add few onion slices.Next add the garlic and saute till it becomes fragrant and then add the ginger paste.Saute till the raw smell leaves, then add the grounded chili paste and saute it for 2 mins. Then add the remaining onions and half of the mint and coriander leaves, saute till the onions becomes translucent, then add the tomatoes.Saute till the tomatoes are mushy and then add the curd, mix it well and add the chicken pieces, saute the chicken pieces in the masala for 5 mins.Next add the salt and squeeze the lemon juice into it. In a separate pan, bring the water into boil.Add the boiling water in to pressure cooker, drain the soaked water from the rice and add into the pressure cooker.Add the remaining mint and coriander leaves, give a good mix and cover the pressure with lid and put on weight. Cook it for 3 whistle.Tada, Super Ambur Chicken Biryani is ready.Serve it with your favorite curry and raita. We had it with Chicken curry and Onion Raita.

Notes:

• The ratio of rice to water is 1:2, make sure the rice is soaked for 30 mins.
• For extra flavor, you can add 1 tsp of ghee when you open the pressure cooker and mix it gently.
• Use good quality of ghee & jeeraga samba rice,that yields great flavor to the rice.
• Make sure that the chili paste is smooth not coarse. 
• Saute the ginger & garlic paste in the oil & mixture gives good flavor to the biryani.