Chettinad biryani recipe in pressure cooker. Delicious chicken biryani recipe from chettinad cuisine, one of the most popular South Indian cuisine. The main high light of this chettinad biryani is the unique medley of spices and coconut milk. You can also check this hyderabadi biryani and this dum style chicken biryani recipe made in cooker
Chettinad biryani is generally made with seeraga samba rice, since I did not have them I used basmati rice. The main aroma of this biryani comes from the seeraga samba rice, coconut milk and mild spices. However if you do not have seeraga samba rice, then use basmati rice to make this biriyani.
This is one of the simplest that one can try since the procedure is easy to make. If you have a pressure cooker you can use it to make this otherwise you can also make this in a pot.
This is best served with a raita or any gravy. We just had it with onion raita and I garnished with boiled eggs.
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Easy chettinad biryani recipe
Chettinad biryani
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
To make a paste
- 1 tsp fennel seeds / sombu
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 3 green cardamoms
- 2 to 2 ½ tsps ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger 4 to 5 garlic cloves
Marination
- 400 to 500 grams chicken pieces
- 2 tbsps curd / yogurt
- Ground paste from above
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ to ½ tsp red chilli powder
To temper
- 2 to 3 tbsp oil (adjust as needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick small
Other ingredients
- 2 cups seeraga samba rice or basmati rice
- 3 ½ cups coconut milk or 1 ½ cups thick coconut milk + 2 cups water , thin
- Salt as needed
- 1 onion large , sliced thinly about ¾ cup
- 2 to 3 green chillies (use as needed)
- 1 tomato large , deseeded chopped or about ½ cup or pureed
- Handful mint leaves chopped.
- Handful Coriander leaves
How to make the recipe
Preparation
- Wash chicken thoroughly and drain completely.
- Powder fennel, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms to a fine powder in a mixer jar. Then add ginger garlic. Make a fine paste of all. If your blender doesn’t do it finely, then add curd mentioned for marination and blend. You can also use a hand pestle to do this.
- Add the paste, curd, turmeric, chili powder and chicken to a mixing bowl. Marinate and set aside.
- Wash and soak rice for at least 20 to 30 mins. Drain the water.
- Keep your coconut milk and water ready.
Making chettinad biryani
- Add oil to a hot pot or pressure cooker.
- Saute bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon.
- Add onions and green chilies. Fry until they turn golden.
- Add chicken and saute on a medium heat until the chicken turns pale and whitish.
- Then add tomatoes, mint and coriander leaves. Sprinkle salt and cook covered on a low heat untl the tomatoes turn mushy. Chicken is almost half cooked at this stage. Do not cook on high heat as it will make the chicken hard. Cook without lid until the moisture from tomatoes and curd evaporates completely.
- Add water and coconut milk. Bring it to a boil on a medium heat . You can also use hot water to prevent the chicken from turning hard. Some times adding cold water to the chicken makes it hard and tough to cook.
- Add drained rice and cook on a medium heat.
- If making in pressure cooker. cover and cook on a medium heat for 1 whistle.
- If making in pot, Cook in open pot until almost the water is absorbed. Then cover and cook on a low heat until soft cooked. If the rice remains undercooked, you may need to sprinkle some water and cook until done.
- Allow the cooked chicken biryani to rest for atleast 15 mins.
- Open the lid and fluff up gently.
- Garnish Chettinad biryani with eggs or coriander leaves.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Helen says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The flavours were so intense. The best ever!
swasthi says
Hi Helen!
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thank you!
Vaishnavi Ananda Kumar says
This recipe is awesome. I tried it, and the Biryani tasted too yummy. The whole experience of cooking it, tasting it and also sharing it with my friends was out of the world. I also have a doubt. Can we add mutton instead of chicken for this recipe?
swasthi says
Thanks Vaishnavi
Glad your biryani turned out good. You can check the recipe of mutton biryani here. I would suggest using the chicken biryani recipe for mutton.
Archana Chopra says
Thanks. I have been using this recipe for ages. Always get compliments for my Chettinad Biryani. Thanks again.
swasthi says
Hi Archana
You are welcome. thank you so much for the comment. Happy to know it turns out good.
🙂
Regina says
Hi,
I’ve tried a lot of your receipes and they turned out very delicious!!!
I have a question about this receipe. If I’m making it in the pressure cooker, is there a need of going the steps till the tomatos turn mushy?
swasthi says
Hi Regina
Thanks for trying. Yes the tomatoes have to turn mushy & the moisture must evaporate completely otherwise the flavor will not be good.
Kelly says
Hi! Should this be canned coconut milk or the kind in the refrigerator section at the grocery store? Thanks!
swasthi says
H Kelly,
You can use the one from refrigerator section. I use homemade coconut milk.
Sujatha says
This biryani recipe came out so well. Thanks a lot! I tried a lot of your recipes. No time to decide whether a recipe is going to turn out well, I will choose your’s.
swasthi says
Welcome Sujatha
So glad to know the biryani turned out well. Thanks for trying the recipes from here.
🙂
Nanda Kumar Mangati says
This is one of the best and easy biryani recipes. Spices mixture eliminates the need for ready made mixture and the rice tastes awesome!
I replaced chicken with mutton in this recipe ( cooked meat in cooker for some time) and it turned very good. Is there a Chettinad mutton biryani recipe from you? If yes, please share the link.
Thanks for everything.
swasthi says
Welcome Nanda
So glad to know you liked it. Thanks for sharing the outcome. I do not have a post on chettinad mutton biryani yet. I do wish to share it sometime soon. Thanks again
sravani says
Is it mandatory to refreigerate the marinated chicken
swasthi says
Hi Sravani
I haven’t mentioned to refrigerate the chicken in this recipe. If you meant about some other recipe, then You don’t need to refrigerate if you are cooking in the next 30 to 45 mins otherwise it is good to do it. Also resting the marinated chicken makes the chicken soft and tender.
KARTHIGA says
Hello, you didn’t tell how much rice must be taken for 500gms of chicken
swasthi says
Hi Karthiga
I have mentioned it as 2 cups
PRINCEFREAKASSO says
Interesting blog that Swasthi has here. I plan to try out some of these mouth watering recipes.
swasthi says
Thank you
Yes do try and share the outcome
🙂