Malabar Biryani | Kerala Thalassery Biryani (Veg)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
4
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Calories
811 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Malabar Biryani | Kerala Thalassery Biryani (Veg)
Description
The recipe starts by soaking and partially cooking the rice to a three-quarters done state before draining excess starch to keep grains separate. Fried onions with cashews, raisins, and curry leaves are prepared separately and layered on top of the rice without mixing, preserving texture contrast. The vegetable gravy is made with chopped vegetables like eggplant, potatoes, carrots, and peas cooked with whole spices including cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamom, along with ginger garlic paste, green chilies, and thick coconut milk. Ground spices such as coriander, fennel, black pepper, and turmeric add depth, while lemon juice or yogurt provides a mild tang.
Combining these layers and allowing them to rest brings together distinct textures: tender vegetables, fluffy rice grains, and crunchy nuts in a subtly spicy, creamy coconut sauce. This biryani works well as a main meal and suits those looking for a flavorful vegetarian rice dish representative of Kerala cuisine.
Using thick coconut milk is recommended, with homemade preferred for its fresh coconut flavor, but canned milk also works. Optional choices for cooking oil include neutral oils, ghee, or coconut oil to adjust richness and aroma. The recipe allows flexibility to add a range of vegetables according to preference.
Ingredients
For the rice
- 2 cups rice - soaked in 3 cups water, kaima rice or basmati rice
- 6 cups water - for cooking rice
- ¼ or ⅓ cup cashews - chopped
- 15 to 20 curry leaves
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 cup onion thinly sliced
- 5 to 6 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 12 to 15 saffron dissolved in 1.5 tablespoon water or yellow edible color or a pinch of turmeric dissolved in water can also be used, strands
- salt as required
For the vegetable gravy
- 2 cup vegetables I used small eggplants (brinjal), potato, carrots, chopped
- ½ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
- 1.5 cups onion thinly sliced
- 2 inches cinnamon stick
- 7 to 8 cloves
- 4 to 5 green cardamom
- 2 cups coconut milk - thick or canned thick coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chilies - chopped
- ½ cup water or as needed
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder (ground fennel)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or ¼ cup curd (yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon mint chopped, leaves
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- First, rinse the rice a few times in water. Soak the rice for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Later cook the rice in water until the rice grains are ¾ᵗʰ cooked. Drain the remaining starchy water and set the rice grains aside.
- Heat oil and add the sliced onions.
- Fry till the onions become light golden.
- Add the cashewnuts, raisins and curry leaves.
- Fry till the mixture turns golden on low heat. Don't burn.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and add the fried onions, cashews, raisins and curry leaves to the cooked rice. Do not mix. Simply make a layer of the fried onions mixture on top of the rice.
Making vegetable gravy
- In another pan, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of this oil in which the onions were fried. You can add more oil if required. Heat the oil on a low flame.You can also opt to use fresh oil or use ghee instead.
- Add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms.
- On a low heat fry till the oil becomes fragrant and the spices splutter.
- Now, add the 1.5 cups sliced onions and sauté on medium-low heat until light golden, stirring often.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for a minute on low heat.
- Add the dry ground spice powders and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the mixed chopped vegetables. Sauté for a minute.
- Add the coconut milk. Stir and then add water along with lemon juice.
- If using yogurt instead of lemon juice, then add at this step. Stir well.
- Add ½ cup of water. Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook on low to medium-low heat. The gravy will reduce a bit.
- Once the vegetables are tender and cooked, we can start layering the biryani.
Layering and making Malabar Biryani
- Grease an oven proof bowl or pan with oil.
- Layer the vegetable gravy first. Then layer the rice.
- Spread the chopped mint and coriander leaves on top.
- Sprinkle the saffron water. Dot with some oil.
- Spread another layer of the vegetable gravy.
- Now spread the fourth layer of rice.
- Sprinkle the chopped mint, coriander leaves and saffron water.
- Dot with some oil again. Cover and seal tightly with an aluminium foil.
- Bake Kerala Biryani in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes.
- You can also cook the layered biryani in a tightly covered pan on stove top for 25 to 30 minutes on low heat.
- Serve Malabar Biryani hot or warm with raita or kachumber.
Notes
- Use vegetables of your choice like button mushrooms or unripe jackfruit for variety.
- Ghee or coconut oil can replace cooking oil for different flavors.
- Thick coconut milk is best; homemade preferable but canned works well.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 811 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 811kcal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 99g | 33% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 43g | 66% |
| Saturated Fat | 24g | 120% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Sodium | 1287mg | 54% |
| Potassium | 653mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 123IU | 2% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.2mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 8mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4mg | |
| Vitamin C | 23mg | 26% |
| Vitamin E | 6mg | |
| Vitamin K | 6µg | |
| Calcium | 113mg | 11% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 102µg | |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
| Magnesium | 124mg | 31% |
| Phosphorus | 306mg | |
| Zinc | 3mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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