Vellai Chicken Biryani – Kongu Vellai Chicken Biryani

Vellai Chicken Biryani – This biryani dish hails from the region of coimbatore, salem, erode,  krishnagiri districts… mostly populated with muslims who make this flavorful biryani using samba rice. I have just tasted once during a trip to Salem… also learned that they use Pandan leaves for flavoring the biryani… well i cant’t find that here but still wanted try it at home. No one can ever match muslim style biryani, its their speciality but this one is close it with all the flavors… wish i could find that Ramba elai sometime!

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Vellai Chicken Biryani

Vellai Chicken Biryani - This biryani dish hails from the region of coimbatore, salem, erode,  krishnagiri districts... mostly populated with muslims who make this flavorful biryani using samba rice. I have just tasted once during a trip to Salem... also learned that they use Pandan leaves for flavoring the biryani... well i cant't find that here but still wanted try it at home. No one can ever match muslim style biryani, its their speciality but this one is close it with all the flavors... wish i could find that Ramba elai sometime!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, kongu, salem, south indian

Keyword: biryani, kongu style biryani, vellai biryani, white chicken biryani

Servings: 4

Author: Mullai Madavan

Ingredients

Ingredients - Soaking & Cooking

• 2 cups Seeraga Samba Rice Soak for 30 to 45 minutes **** Read notes
• 2 cups Water *** Read notes
• 2 cups Light Coconut Milk ***Read Notes

Ingredients - Whole Garam Masala

• 4 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 each Bay leaf
• 2 small Cinnamon
• 5 each Cloves
• 2 each Cardamom
• 1 each Star anise
• 1 petals Mace flower
• 1/8 tsp Nut meg
• 2 flowers Kalpasi
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
• 2 each Pandan leaves / Rambai elai ***Read notes

Ingredients - Saute

• 1 kg Chicken 2 pounds
• 1/4 cup Yogurt
• 1 cup Onion sliced (preferably chinna vengayam)
• 6 each Green Chillies slit open
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves tightly packed
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves tighlly packed
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves for garnish
• 2 tsp Salt or to taste

Instructions

Prep Work

• Soak Seeraga samba rice in enough water for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Soaking is very important to get a soft, fluffy texture cooked rice or else will be slightly chewy.
  
• Marinate the chicken with yogurt and little salt.
  

Saute

• Heat oil in a pressure pan and fry all the whole garam masala mentioned in table- 1 (kalpasi and mace flower, nutmeg is a must for this recipe... also they use rambai  ellai / Pandan leaves which adds ton of flavor to the biryani. I didn't find it at the time of making this dish 😥
  
• Saute all of these for few seconds and then add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and saute well till it turns light brown.
  
• Now add the sliced onions.. (i have used regular as well as chinna vengayam for this recipe)  Saute till they turn translucent.
  
• Now add the chicken pieces to the sauteed onions along with remaining salt and some mint leaves.
  
• Also add the soaked rice and fry along with the chicken and onion mixture.
  

Pressure cook

• Now add in the 2 cups water + 2 cups light coconut milk (kind of very dilute)
  
• For liquid measure- I have used 1: 2 rice, liquid ratio. ( For 2 cups rice: 4 cups liquid - used 2 cups water and 2 cups light coconut milk) This is will yield slightly a soft texture for rice with 30 minutes soaking time. If you prefer slightly firm, fluffy texture, then use 1: 1.5 ratio.
  
• Let the rice boil in it for few seconds.
  
• Add in some coriander leaves at this stage. Put the pressure cooker lid and cook for 2 whistles.
  
• When done, let the pressure settle naturally and then garnish with coriander leaves and drizzle ghee over it. Serve it with boiled egg and raita!
  

Notes

***Pandan leaves is ramba elai in tamil and i heard that they use this leaf to flavor their biryani... if you find, try to use it in this recipe.

***For liquid measure - I have used 1: 2 rice, liquid ratio. ( For 2 cups rice: 4 cups liquid - used 2 cups water and 2 cups light coconut milk) This is will yield slightly a soft texture for rice with 30 minutes soaking time. If you prefer slightly firm, fluffy texture, then use 1: 1.5 ratio.
***Light coconut milk is something i have added to give extra flavor... very dilute form of coconut milk, just to add a kick... you may skip and add water instead too.
***Kalpasi (Black stone flower is also a special flavoring spice typically used in most muslim style garam masala )

Try this Biryani with SIDE GRAVY FOR BIRYANI

BHAI STYLE BRINJAL GRAVY