Amburi Biryani

Ambur mutton biryani or Ambur Star briyani from Ambur town in Vellore district in Tamil Nadu has a devoted following across south India. This is a delightfully flavoured biryani that deserves to be known in the rest of the country.

We bring you the original Ambur biryani recipe straight from the place where it was born.

Ambur is located on the banks of the Palar river, between Chennai and Bangalore. It is famous for its spicy non-vegetarian biryani and for makkan peda, a sweet.

The nawabs of Arcot, the local royals, are said to have learned the fine art of cooking biryani from the nizams of Hyderabad. The descendants of the cooks for the nawabs of Arcot later established the Star Briyani Hotel in Ambur in 1890. Note the spelling: they spell it briyani, not biryani. Star Briyani Hotel’s most famous contribution to the repertoire of Indian biryanis is the authentic muslim mutton biryani from Ambur, known as Ambur Star Briyani.

First, Ambur biryani is made with a short-grained rice called seeraga samba or jeeraga samba rice (also known in short as jeera rice). For authentic Ambur mutton biryani, use only seeraga samba rice, which is grown in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, some other parts of India, and Sri Lanka. The rice is called samba because it is grown in the samba season (August through January). Samba rice is very popular in West Bengal where it is known as gobindobhog rice. It has small ovular grains, which are one-third the size of the much longer grains of basmati rice (therefore called jeera rice – small like cumin seeds or jeera). It is also much harder than other varieties of rice and has a less ‘fluffy’ texture when cooked. It also has a distinct ‘starchy’ or ‘corny’ taste and a unique aroma and flavour. Seeraga samba is the most expensive sub-variety of samba rice and has the smallest grain.

Ingredients

• Chicken 1/2 Kg
• Rice 250gm (Boiled)
• Onion 2 (Chopped and Fried)
• Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
• Carrot 2 tbsp (Chopped)
• Almond 8
• Raisins 1 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder 1+1/2 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Oil 1/4 Cup
• Water as You Required
• 1 tbsp Oil for Tarka

Step by Steps

1. Take a pot and add 1/4 Cup oil and add Ginger Garlic Paste and stir it and slightly fry it and then add Chicken and stir it on medium flame for 2 minutes or until it’s color changed.

2. After that add 1/4 Cup water and Cover with lid and Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.

3. After that Open the lid and add salt, frid onion, Garam Masala Powder and stir it well and then add 1/2 Cup Water and stir it and Cover with lid and Cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.

4. After that open the lid and stir it and add Boild Rice and Cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes on very low flame.

5. Now take a pan and add 1 tbsp Oil and add Carrot and stir it and fry it for 2 minutes after that add Almond and Raisins and Stir it for 1 minutes. Your Afghani Tarka is Ready.

6. Now open the lid from Rice and mix it and Serve it with Sprinkle Afghani Tarka. your Afghani Biryani is Ready. Enjoy it.