Nonetheless, we are impartial towards all varieties of biryani like the Hyderabadi Biryani, Thalassery Biryani and Chettinad Biryani, etc., since they come with their own unique taste and texture.
Ambur Biryani
Ambur biryani is a delightful one-pot meal with succulent pieces of meat cooked to perfection along with the aromatic jeera samba rice, mint leaves, coriander leaves and whole spices. The flavor and taste of meat is more dominant in Ambur biryani than the other ones due to the fewer spices used. The mildly flavored rice is light on the stomach since it is not ghee-laden with many spices like the other biryani varieties. While making this mixed rice biryani, do not use green chilies and ghee. Instead, rely on dried red chilies which is the key here. The spiciness of the Ambur biryani comes from the usage of fresh, dried chili paste, which makes all the difference in flavor and taste. Ambur, a small town in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, famous for its lip-smacking biryani and its leather manufacturing units, can be considered as the place of origin of the Star Ambur Briyani. History traces it further to the kitchen of the Nawabs of Arcot, who had connections with the Hyderabadi Nizams. Arcot, which is near to Ambur, was a central commercial hub of trade during the 18th century, and it is for this reason the Ambur rice was known as Arcot rice initially. The biryani became famous when Hussain Baig, who cooked in the Mughal kitchen, started selling his biryani from home. Later a Hotel was established so that the commoner also got to taste the royal food. The restaurant now has outlets in all the major cities and has gained much adulation all over India. They even have one in Singapore, the country where I live.
Ambur Biryani Vs Other varieties of Biryani
Rice: Ambur biriyani is made with short-grain rice, known as jeeraga samba rice. Samba refers to the samba season (August to January) during which the rice is grown. With an ovular shape, it is one-third the size of the basmati rice and therefore called jeera rice since its physical appearance is small, like cumin or jeera. The rice is much harder than the other varieties, giving it a less fluffy texture. On top of that, this aromatic rice has distinct flavor-absorbing properties. For this reason, the rice retains its texture and does not thicken into lumps. Moreover, samba rice absorbs the flavor of the masala quite well in contrast to biryani rice which gives out a strong flavor. The samba rice is ideal for making this biriyani as it can absorb a large quantity of water without turning mushy. Spice powder: The preparation of Ambur biriyani comes without any spice powder and does not use Garam Masala. Instead, the recipe uses only a few whole spices such as cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Mode of cooking: The original Ambur biriyani is made on a wood fire and slow-cooked by using the dum technique. Try making this Ambur biriyani and enjoy the meal with your dear ones. The taste and flavor of this biriyani are very close to what I got to taste from their outlet.
Pro Tips & Notes
I have included a video for this recipe. Do watch it.If you want to make the Ambur biriyani less spicy, you can remove the seeds from the red chili.To serve: You can serve it along with ennai kathirikai and onion or cucumber raita. Ennai kathirikai is a spicy and sour brinjal curry that goes perfectly with the rice. Eat the raita with a bit of rice towards the end of your meal as it functions like a digestive.What’s more, it would be best to have a Suleimani chai (lemon black tea) after the biryani. A lot of fat from the meal may clog the digestive pathway, and the hot tea clears it all.Storage: Leftover biriyani will stay good for up to four days in the refrigerator when stored properly in air-tight containers. But make sure not to reheat twice once cooked as it will turn rancid and is unhealthy. This recipe cannot be used to make Ambur mutton biryani. Mutton requires water for cooking which I have not used here.
To make ambur star mutton biryani, water is used to cook the meat. But in this recipe I have made it without using water as chicken itself will ooze out lot of moisture while cooking. This recipe has been adapted from a Tamil channel. All the measurements given below are mine. They work out well and comes close to the Ambur biriyani that I had eaten in Singapore. Related Recipes
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This post on Ambur Biryani was first published in February 2017. Updated and republished in January 2022
