Thala Ajith Biryani Recipe with Chicken, Chicken biryani – Kannamma Cooks (2024)

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!

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