Servings
Font
Back
Malabar Biryani | Kerala Thalassery Biryani (Veg)
5 from 12 votes

Malabar Biryani | Kerala Thalassery Biryani (Veg)

Malabar Biryani, also known as Kerala Thalassery Biryani, is a vegetarian rice dish featuring partly cooked kaima or basmati rice layered with fried onions, cashews, raisins, curry leaves, and a spiced vegetable gravy in thick coconut milk. Whole spices and a mix of powders such as coriander, fennel, and smoked paprika create fragrant, rich layers that blend slowly during cooking. This biryani offers a balanced taste with creamy, slightly tangy gravy and a subtle heat from chili powder and green chilies.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 811 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

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
    Cup of Yum
  1. First, rinse the rice a few times in water. Soak the rice for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Later cook the rice in water until the rice grains are ¾ᵗʰ cooked. Drain the remaining starchy water and set the rice grains aside.
  3. Heat oil and add the sliced onions.
  4. Fry till the onions become light golden.
  5. Add the cashewnuts, raisins and curry leaves.
  6. Fry till the mixture turns golden on low heat. Don't burn.
  7. 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
  1. 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.
  2. Add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms.
  3. On a low heat fry till the oil becomes fragrant and the spices splutter.
  4. Now, add the 1.5 cups sliced onions and sauté on medium-low heat until light golden, stirring often.
  5. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for a minute on low heat.
  6. Add the dry ground spice powders and sauté for a few seconds.
  7. Add the mixed chopped vegetables. Sauté for a minute.
  8. Add the coconut milk. Stir and then add water along with lemon juice.
  9. If using yogurt instead of lemon juice, then add at this step. Stir well.
  10. 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.
  11. Once the vegetables are tender and cooked, we can start layering the biryani.
Layering and making Malabar Biryani
  1. Grease an oven proof bowl or pan with oil.
  2. Layer the vegetable gravy first. Then layer the rice.
  3. Spread the chopped mint and coriander leaves on top.
  4. Sprinkle the saffron water. Dot with some oil.
  5. Spread another layer of the vegetable gravy.
  6. Now spread the fourth layer of rice.
  7. Sprinkle the chopped mint, coriander leaves and saffron water.
  8. Dot with some oil again. Cover and seal tightly with an aluminium foil.
  9. Bake Kerala Biryani in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes.
  10. You can also cook the layered biryani in a tightly covered pan on stove top for 25 to 30 minutes on low heat.
  11. 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

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

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 811

% 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.