Who doesn’t love thala right? His interest in food and cooking is so well known and his biryani has become legendary in the sets where he works. This recipe was published long time back in Kumudam magazine where director Venkat Prabhu and actress Parvathy Nair describe the procedure of how to make thala style biryani. Venkat Prabhu states that thala uses only basmati rice for making biryani and never uses any ready made biryani masala.
Its a dum style biryani where a masala is cooked and partially cooked rice is added and put on dum. Here is what you will need for the Thala Ajith biryani masala.
For ingredient measurements and instructions for Thala Ajith Biryani, scroll to the bottom of the page.
First, soak the basmati water in lots of water and set aside.
Now, Lets make the Biryani Masala.
Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add in the spices. Add in the onions and cover the pan with a lid. I believe Ajith covers and cooks everything and also cooks only on a medium heat. That’s his secret to good biryani I believe.
So cover the pan and cook until the onions are brown. Open the lid and saute once in a while so the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.
Now, add in the ginger garlic paste once the onions are brown. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Let it brown. Saute in the middle to avoid burning.
Now add in the coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute briefly.
Add in the tomatoes and the green chillies. Saute briefly and cover the pan with the lid and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the spice powders ( turmeric, red chilli ) and the salt. Mix well.
Add in the chicken and beaten yogurt. Mix well. Slightly increase the flame and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. No need to add water. The chicken will cook in its own liquid and juices.
In the mean time, bring a big pot of water to boil. Add in little oil, salt and lime juice. Add in the soaked and drained rice.
The chicken will be cooked in the mean time. Reduce the flame to sim.
Cook the rice until 80% done. The rice should still be firm and little hard slightly in the middle.Drain the rice. Save the hot water remaining (kanji thanni) for putting dum. Add the drained rice to the pan.
Mix the rice and the chicken masala. Now, we are ready for dum.
Take a dosa pan and place the biryani pot on the dosa pan. Cover with a lid and place hot water (the drained water / left over rice water (kanji thanni) ) on top.
Put the flame of the stove on low and let it cook in dum for 15 minutes. Open the pan after 15 minutes, add in the ghee and gently mix the biryani. Put in dum for 5 more minutes.
Thala Ajith biryani is ready! Enjoy Thala Ajith biryani!
Thala Ajith Biryani Recipe with Chicken
Recipe for Thala Ajith biryani. Chicken biryani recipe. Recipe adapted from a tamil magazine. Dum style Chicken Biryani / Thala Biryani.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Spices
- 2 cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 2 Cinnamon
Ginger Garlic Paste
- Grind to a paste the following:
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece ginger
- 1/4 cup water
For Chicken Masala
- 2 Tablespoon Ghee
- 2 Tablespoon Vegetable / Sunflower Oil
- 2 medium sized Onion, sliced
- 6 sprigs Coriander leaves, chopped
- 6 sprigs Mint leaves, chopped
- 2 Tomatoes, chopped
- 4 Green Chillies, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh yogurt (curd)
- 3 teaspoon Ghee ( for mixing at last)
- 750 grams Chicken with bone
For Cooking Rice
- 3 litres water
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice, soaked (500 ml)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoon vegetable / sunflower oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add in the spices. Add in the onions and cover the pan with a lid. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are brown. Open the lid and saute once in a while so the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste once the onions are brown. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Let it brown. Saute in the middle to avoid burning.
- Add in the coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute briefly.
- Add in the tomatoes and the green chillies. Saute briefly and cover the pan with the lid and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the spice powders ( turmeric, red chilli ) and the salt. Mix well.
- Add in the chicken and beaten yogurt. Slightly increase the flame and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. No need to add water. The chicken will cook in its own liquid and juices.
- In the mean time, bring a big pot of water to boil. Add in little oil, salt and lime juice. Add in the soaked and drained rice.
- The chicken will be cooked in the mean time. Reduce the flame to sim.
- Cook the rice until 80% done. The rice should still be firm and little hard slightly in the middle.Drain the rice. Save the hot water remaining (kanji thanni) for putting dum. Add the drained rice to the pan.
- Mix the rice and the chicken masala. Now, we are ready for dum.
- Take a dosa pan and place the biryani pot on the dosa pan. Cover with a lid and place hot water (the drained water / left over rice water (kanji thanni) on top.
- Put the flame of the stove on low and let it cook in dum for 15 minutes. Open the pan after 15 minutes, add in the ghee and gently mix the biryani. Put in dum for 5 more minutes.
- Switch off the flame. Biryani is ready!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Biryani
- Cuisine: South Indian
Hi Suguna,
Tried this recipe and Overwhelmed with the taste and texture. Thank you
Thank you so much.
One of the best biriyani i ever made. Thankyou suguna [email protected] kanammacooks for sharing this recipe. Simple ingredients & very flavourful
Thank you!
Hi sis
Tried this amazing recipe today and it was absolutely mouth watering..thumbs up! Thala..thala thaan!! Thank u so much n have a nice day
extremely tasty with all flavours in there !! thanku.
its a quick one too with no extra fuss or garnishes.
perfect for a lazy sunday afternoon.:)
delicious recipe Thanku for sharing with us
Thank you!
Very nice tastey and delicious chicken briyani. Thanku for sharing with us such a nice post
Thank you!
I don’t think there is any difference from the other dum biriyanis from Thala style biriyani. It is the same ingredients and method of a normal dum biriyani.
Could You please tell what is the exact difference of this special biriyani from other normal dum biriyanis ? 🙂
HI Suguna, I guess the secret is closing with lid all through cooking this briyani.
Such simple ingredients, yet the flavor is amazing.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you very much!
Which is the best of your chicken biriyani recipes? And which recipe do you suggest for nattu kozhi?
You can try the muslim biryani or usha aunties biryani recipe. My moms is my fav too! Its really hard to tell ……..
Hi sister,
Many thanks for your receipies.. im going to surprise my wife by this weekend to cook “thala briyani”.. i felt hesitate before, but the moment i read your receipies, confidence overloaded.. sure, it will gonna rock!
Keep rocking sis!
Thank you! All the very best.
it was yummy and a hit at home
Hi Suguna,
Request.
please share home made puliyogare recipe .. 🙂
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Saranya
Hi. I tried this briyani today for Saturday lunch. It came out so well. Thank you for sharing.
I paired it with raita and chicken 65.
Request. Would like to see your take on chicken 65, bisibilabeth.. 🙂
Thanks in advance.
Sure Asha. Have you tried
http://www.kannammacooks.com/chicken-65-recipe-boneless-chicken-65/
http://www.kannammacooks.com/kori-kempu-bezule-mangalore-chicken-bezule/
Kannama,
Have you tries this yourself . How does it turn out ? it is one thing to go by a celeb who is gonna be loyal to another, but feedback from a common (wo)man is more valuable
Yes. I have tried it a number of times and I do like it. The pictures you see are taken from my kitchen. So you know first hand.