Chettinad Chicken Biryani is a spicy and aromatic dish from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, known for its authentic flavors. This biryani is prepared using a unique blend of spices, thin coconut milk, simple chicken marination, and rice.
Biryani Chettinad style
Chettinad biryani (chicken, mutton, or vegetables) is popular for its unique blend of spices, authentic flavor, and ease of preparation. Seeraga samba rice is traditionally used, but you can easily replace it with basmati rice.
Like the Awadhi, Lucknow, or Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, this biryani does not rely on fried onions, saffron, or yogurt-based marinade and is not cooked dum style. This is cooked in one pot style, just like pilaf (pulao), and highlighted here is the bold combination of spices (whole and ground) and herbs used.
While here, don't miss out on our most loved chicken biryani, mushroom biryani, and vegetable biryani.
Ingredients
Whole spices: cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf
Ground spices: red chile powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder.
Other unique ingredients are poppy seeds, fennel seeds, and dry red chilies.
Rice: Seeraga samba for authentic taste or good basmati rice.
Herbs: Mint (pudina) and Cilantro (coriander leaves).
Coconut milk: Thin down with water to cook rice. It gives an aromatic taste.
Ghee and oil for cooking
Other ingredients: Lots of onions, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger for flavor.
Check out the recipe card for the full list of the ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
- Marination: Add chicken thighs, salt, red chile powder, and turmeric powder in a bowl. Marinate this for about 20-30 minutes.
- Soak rice: Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat oil and ghee in a large kadai, pot, or pan. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add the green chilies and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the onions and saute for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
- Make the ground paste: Meanwhile, Add coconut, dry red chilies, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, mint leaves, garlic cloves, ginger, and water in a mixie jar and grind it to a smooth paste.
- Once the onion has turned golden brown, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt and mix well.
- Add the ground paste and mix well.
- Next, add tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add marinated chicken and cilantro. Mix and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Make thin coconut milk: In a bowl, add ½ cup coconut milk and 2 ½ cups water and mix well.
- After 8 minutes of cooking chicken, Add the drained rice and thin coconut milk and mix everything well. Add the juice of one lemon.
- Cover and cook for 14 to 18 minutes or until the rice is perfectly cooked.
- Serve with a simple raita and boiled egg, and enjoy. To enhance the dish, you can serve it with pepper chicken or chettinad-style chicken fry.
Tips
- This is on the spicier side. If you like the milder version, adjust the spices to your taste.
- Seeraga samba rice is traditional, which gives it an authentic taste. But since it's not easily available, use basmati rice.
Instant pot chettinad biryani
- Press the SAUTE button on your IP.
- Follow the same steps given above till you add rice.
- Two cups of liquid is sufficient for the instant pot. So, for ⅓ cup of coconut milk, add 1 ⅔ cup of water and mix.
- Add this to the rice.
- Scrape off the bottom. Press the CANCEL button.
- Secure the lid of your IP and see that the pressure valve is in the sealing position.
- PRESSURE COOK on high for 5 minutes. When the IP beeps, Let the pressure release naturally for 6 to 8 minutes. Release any remaining pressure manually, open the lid, and fluff the rice. You can use a silicon spatula to prevent the cooked rice from breaking.
Recipe FAQs
Chettinad biryani is known for its bold, spicy, and aromatic flavor with a unique blend of spices. It is not dum-cooked but rather cooked in one pot or pressure cooker.
It is spicy with an aromatic flavor cooked in thin coconut milk, which makes it different from other biryanis.
Chicken Chettinad uses bold combination of whole spices, ground spices, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and herbs like coriander leaves and mint and tender chicken all cooked together to create one iconic South Indian dish.
Yes. This biryani can be prepared in an instant pot or pressure cooker. After sauteing, mixing, and adding rice, pressure cook for one whistle on medium flame.
More Biryani Recipes
Recipe card
Chettinad Chicken Biryani Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
Marinate the chicken
- 750 grams Chicken thighs
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Red chile powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Making the masala
- ¼ cup Coconut
- 2 Kashmiri dry red chilies
- 3//4 teaspoon Poppy seeds
- ¾ teaspoon Fennel seeds saunf
- ½ cup Mint leaves pudina loosely packed
- 6 to 8 Garlic cloves
- 2 inch Ginger
- 2 tablespoon water
For the biryani
- 1 ½ cups Basmati rice or Seeraga samba rice
- 1 ½ tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1- inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Star anise
- 2 to 3 Cloves
- 2 to 3 Cardamom
- 2 to 3 Bay leaf
- 3 to 4 Green chilies slit.
- 3 Onions medium sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 3 Tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro coriander leaves chopped
- ½ cup Coconut milk
- 2 ½ cups Water.
- 1 Juice of lemon
Instructions
- Marination: Add chicken thighs, salt, red chile powder, and turmeric powder in a bowl. Marinate this for about 20-30 minutes.750 grams Chicken thighs, ¾ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Red chile powder, ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Soak rice: Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20-30 minutes.1 ½ cups Basmati rice or Seeraga samba rice
- Heat oil and ghee in a large kadai, pot, or pan. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf, and saute for a few seconds.1 ½ tablespoon Oil, 1 tablespoon Ghee, 1- inch Cinnamon stick, 1 Star anise, 2 to 3 Cloves, 2 to 3 Cardamom, 2 to 3 Bay leaf
- Add the green chilies and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes.3 to 4 Green chilies
- Add the onions and saute for 8-10 minutes or until golden.3 Onions
- Make the ground paste: Meanwhile, Add coconut, dry red chilies, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, mint leaves, garlic cloves, ginger, and water in a mixie jar and grind it to a smooth paste.¼ cup Coconut, 2 Kashmiri dry red chilies, 3//4 teaspoon Poppy seeds, ¾ teaspoon Fennel seeds, ½ cup Mint leaves, 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, 2 inch Ginger, 2 tablespoon water
- Once the onion has turned golden brown, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt and mix well.¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin powder, 2 teaspoon Garam masala powder, ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Add the ground paste and mix well.
- Next, add tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.3 Tomatoes
- Add marinated chicken and cilantro. Mix and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.½ cup cilantro
- Make thin coconut milk: In a bowl, add ½ cup coconut milk and 2 ½ cups water and mix well.½ cup Coconut milk, 2 ½ cups Water.
- After 8 minutes of cooking chicken, Add the drained rice and thin coconut milk and mix everything well. Add the juice of one lemon.1 Juice of lemon
- Cover and cook for 14 to 18 minutes or until the rice is perfectly cooked.
- Serve with a simple raita and boiled egg, and enjoy. To enhance the dish, you can serve it with pepper chicken or chettinad style chicken fry.
Instant pot chettinad chicken biryani
- Press the SAUTE button on your IP.
- Follow the same steps given above till you add rice.
- For the instant pot, 2 cups of liquid is sufficient. So, for ⅓ cup of coconut milk, add 1 ⅔ cup of water and mix.
- Add this to the rice.
- Scrape off the bottom. Press the CANCEL button.
- Secure the lid of your instant pot and see that the pressure valve is in the sealing position. PRESSURE COOK on high for 5 minutes. When the IP beeps, Let the pressure release naturally for 5 to 8 minutes. Release any remaining pressure manually, open the lid, and fluff the rice. You can use a silicon spatula to prevent the cooked rice from breaking.
Video
Notes
- This is on the spicier side. If you like the milder version, adjust the spices to your taste.
- Seeraga samba rice is traditional, which gives it an authentic taste. But since it's not easily available, use basmati rice.
Nutrition
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