Whole Spices for Malabar (Thalassery) Biryani

Malabar and Thalassery biryani use short-grain kaima (jeerakasala) rice instead of basmati, go easier on red chilli, and lean on fried onions, ghee and a fragrant whole-spice masala built around fennel, cardamom and cloves. The spices, more than the chilli, are what give it that rich, sweet smell.

How it differs from a Hyderabadi biryani

• Rice: short-grain kaima, not basmati.
• Heat: milder, from green chillies rather than a lot of red chilli powder.
• Masala: the meat is cooked first in a thick paste of onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies, then layered with the rice.
• Aroma: fennel, cardamom and cloves come through clearly, carried by plenty of ghee and fried onions.

Whole spices for 1 kg chicken

For the rice, fried briefly in ghee before it's cooked:

• 4 cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 piece cinnamon, about 4 cm
• 1 bay leaf

For the ground biryani masala:

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 6 cardamom pods, seeds only
• 6 cloves
• 1 piece cinnamon, about 4 cm
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 star anise (optional)
• A small piece of mace, or a pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Warm these briefly in a dry pan, then grind fine. Use 1 to 1½ teaspoons in the chicken masala, and a light pinch between the rice layers.

Putting it together

1. Fry the whole spices for the rice in ghee, then add the washed, drained rice and fry it briefly too, so every grain picks up some spiced ghee.
2. Cook the chicken masala, stirring the ground biryani masala in towards the end.
3. Layer the rice and chicken with fried onions, cashews, raisins, chopped mint and coriander, and a light sprinkle of the ground masala.
4. Seal the pot and cook on dum, low heat, for 20 to 25 minutes.

What actually makes it smell right

• Fennel. It's the spice that sets a Malabar biryani masala apart from a north Indian one.
• Fresh cardamom and cloves. Tired ones get lost under all that ghee and won't carry through the dish.
• Enough ghee. This biryani is meant to be rich. Don't cut it back and expect the same smell.

Common mistakes

• Grinding the masala too early. It loses aroma sitting around. Grind it the same day.
• Skipping the rice-frying step. Plain boiled rice layered in doesn't pick up nearly as much flavour.
• Too much red chilli powder. It fights the fennel and cardamom instead of sitting behind them. Lean on green chillies for heat.

Cardamom and cloves and pepper for this are all in our 3-in-1 Kerala spice combo. For exact quantities in the layers, see our posts on cardamom in biryani and how many cloves to use, and our garam masala guide if you want to understand the wider spice mix.