Ambur biryani is a popular, mildly spiced Dum Biryani from Ambur in Tamil Nadu, South India with succulent pieces of meat cooked to perfection along with the aromatic jeera samba rice, mint leaves, coriander leaves, whole spices and Kashmiri Red Chillies paste. The flavor and taste of meat is more dominant in Ambur biryani than the other ones due to the fewer spices used.
Did you know that Ghee and Green chillies are never used in Traditional Ambur Star Briyani? Infact they don’t even use any masalas, but the flavor comes mainly from the garlic and ginger paste grounded separately and the Spice and Color from Freshly grounded Kashmiri chillies paste.Healthy Groundnut oil is used instead of Ghee which makes the taste very unique. I cook this biryani almost every weekend.
Made of the short grain fragnant Jeeraga samba rice, Ambur Biryani is very light on the stomach. Its easily digestible when compared to the other masala laden and fat laden Biryanis.
It is said that a legendary cook named Hussain Baig fine-tuned this biryani in the Royal Mughal Kitchens of Arcot Nawabs. He made the Biryani so popular, that he also took the secret recipe with himself and set a shop in his hometown Ambur. The modest shop would sell out the biryani in no time, within years, the biryani shop became a landmark in itself! Ambur Star Briyani – Note the spelling they spell it as Briyani not Biryani!
Ambur Mutton Biryani
Ingredients
- 500g Mutton(with bones)
- 1/2 Cup | 125ml Groundnut oilΒ
- 5 Pcs Cinnamon sticks, 7 Green Cardamom, 6 Cloves, 2 Bay leavesΒ
- 50gms | 2.5 Tbsp Garlic paste
- 50gms | 2.5 Tbsp Ginger pasteΒ
- 200gms | 2 medium Onions SlicedΒ
- 75gms Kashmiri Chilli paste ( prepare by grinding soaked 10-12 kashmiri chillies deseeded in hot water for an hour)
- 200gms | 2 medium Tomatoes slicedΒ
- Salt to taste
- 1 Cup chopped Coriander and Mint leaves
- 125ml | 1/2 Cup Curd, Beaten till smooth
- 11/2 Tsp Sea SaltΒ
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 Cup Hot WaterΒ
For Rice
- 500gm Jeera Samba Rice (2 1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp)Β
- 2.5 Litres | 10.5 Cups Hot WaterΒ
- 1 Tbsp Sea Salt Crystals
- 1 Tbsp Lemon JuiceΒ
Instructions
- Wash and Soak the Jeera Rice for 30mins. Drain and keep aside.
- Make a paste from soaked Kashmiri Dry Chilies .
- Add Groundnut/Peanut Oil, whole spices and sliced Onions. Once changes color, add Garlic paste. SautΓ© for few mins.
- Add Ginger paste and sautΓ© for few mins. Add Tomatoes, Coriander Mint Leaves.
- Add the Chili paste and Curd beaten. Add mutton and salt, lemon juice.
- Cover Cook 15mins on Low flame. Add Hot Water and Pressure cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles till meat is 90% cooked.
- Boil water with salt and Lemon juice. Once water boils rapidly, Add the soaked rice and boil on HIGH heat for 10-11 mins or till the rice is 90% cooked. Rice should look fluffy but have a bit of a crunch. Drain it. Every rice varies according to the age or brand so keep watching the status after 7-8 mins of boiling .
- Layer the rice on top of the mutton. Mutton should have some gravy in it. MIx Gently with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Seal the edges with an aluminum foil and Cover cook. Place the biryani pot on a pan and cook on HIGH heat 5mins then LOW heat 15mins. Allow to rest for atleast 20-30mins before opening.
- Gently mix the Rice with the masala and serve hot with Onion Cucumber Raita.