Ambur Veg Biryani Recipe | Ambur Biryani Recipe with stepwise pics and a short YouTube video. Also, if you like my video, please share it and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel. Ambur is a town in the Vellore district of the northeastern part of Tamilnadu and this style of biryani was introduced by the Nawabs of Arcot, who once ruled the area. This biryani is usually prepared with mutton or chicken but I replaced it with soya chunks which taste like meat and has an equivalent protein content to that. Unlike, other biryani it does not require much ghee or a lot of chopping work and has moderate spices only. The speciality of this biryani is, Jeeraga Samba Rice is used, additionally freshly ground red chilli, ginger-garlic paste is used, readymade ones won’t work for this recipe. I used the traditional dum process which lends a nice aroma, as the steam is trapped inside the pot, but if you are not comfortable, pressure cook the biryani for 2 whistles. As curd is used as a base for the gravy, we feel light on the tummy and it pairs well with Dalcha, Salna or a simple onion raitha. if interested check my 100+ Lockdown Recipes.
Check my other Biryani Recipes like
1. Vegetable Biryani
2. Tomato / Thakkali Biryani
3. Plain / Kuska Biryani
4. Mushroom Biryani
5. Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani
6. Chole / Chana Biryani
Ambur Star Biryani
Ambur Veg Biryani Recipe | Ambur Biryani Recipe is usually prepared with mutton or chicken but I replaced it with soya chunks which taste like meat and has an equivalent protein content to that.
- 2 Cups Jeeraga Samba Rice
- 3 Onion
- 3 Tomato
- 4 Handful Soya chunks
- 1 Handful Mint Leaves
- 1 Handful Coriander Leaves
- ½ Cup Curd Homemade Curd
- 3 Cups Water
- Salt As Required
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 18 to 20 Red Chilli
- 20 Flakes Garlic
- 1 Medium Sized Piece Ginger
- ¼ Cup Oil
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 Cinnamon
- 7 Cloves
- 7 Cardamom
- 2 Star Anise
- Few Stone Mass
- Roll boil 4 cups of water in a pan and add the soya. Add a little salt and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water from the soya and then rinse for 2 times to eliminate any dust. Then, squeeze it well to remove the excess water.
- Rinse the rice well and soak in water for 30 minutes. By the meantime, soak the red chilli in hot water for 15 minutes, so it will be easy for grinding. Peel the skin of ginger, garlic and chop it.
Then, measure and keep all the ingredients ready 'To Temper'. Also, chop the onion and tomato finely.
- Clean the mint and coriander leaves. Also, keep the curd and salt ready.
- To a mixer, add the soaked red chilli with water and grind it to a smooth paste. Then, add the ginger and garlic.
Grind everything to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add all the ingredients listed in the table 'To Temper'. Fry in low flame till nice smell wafts.
Now, add the ground red chilli and ginger-garlic paste. Then, saute for 2 minutes in very low flame. Add the onion, tomato and saute till the raw smells leave.
- Add the soya chunks and stir well. Then, add the mint and coriander leaves.
Give a quick stir. Then, pour 1/2 cup of curd and 3 cups of water.
- Once the water starts to roll boil, add the rice and required salt. Mix well, simmer the flame and cover it with a lid.
- Let it cook until all the water is absorbed. Now the rice would have been cooked 3/4th. Then, squeeze the lemon juice and give a gentle mix. Top up with little more mint leaves and keep the pan aside.
For Dum: Heat an old dosa Tawa and place the pan over the Tawa. Seal it with an aluminium foil and cover it with the lid tightly. Pour little water on the dosa Tawa. Cook for 15 mins in low flame and switch off the flame. Give a standing time of 10 mins and give a very gentle mix with a fork.
Serve this Ambur Vegetable Biryani with vengaya thayir pachadi.
Tips for Ambur Biryani Recipe
1. For an original Ambur Biryani Recipe taste, Jeeraga Samba rice only should be used. But if you don't have it in hand, use good quality and aged Basmati Rice.
2. Soaking the rice for 30 minutes is a must, as it helps in even cooking and gives firm/separate grains.
3. Don't cook the soya chunks for more than 2 minutes, else it turns mushy.
4. Rinse the soya well and then use, as it may contain any dust.
5. Ensure to squeeze the soya well, as it would have absorbed a lot of water.
6. Traditionally oil alone is used to make this biryani but if preferred you can temper it with ghee.
7. Use freshly ground red chilli paste, ginger and garlic paste only. Readymade red chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste never lend the flavour for this biryani.
8. Adjust red chilli as per spice level required for this Ambur Veg Biryani Recipe.
9. Do the dum process in low flame only otherwise the biryani gets burnt at the bottom.
10. Instead of aluminium foil, dough/moist white cloth can be used for sealing the pot.
11. If you are not comfortable with the dum method, pressure cook the biryani for 2 whistles.
Ambur Veg Biryani Recipe
Method for Ambur Veg Biryani Recipe
1. Roll boil 4 cups of water in a pan and add the soya. Add a little salt and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water from the soya and then rinse for 2 times to eliminate any dust. Then, squeeze it well to remove the excess water.
2. Rinse the rice well and soak in water for 30 minutes. By the meantime, soak the red chilli in hot water for 15 minutes, so it will be easy for grinding. Peel the skin of ginger, garlic and chop it.
3. Then, measure and keep all the ingredients ready ‘To Temper‘. Also, chop the onion and tomato finely.
4. Clean the mint and coriander leaves. Also, keep the curd and salt ready.
5. To a mixer, add the soaked red chilli with water and grind it to a smooth paste. Then, add the ginger and garlic.
6. Grind everything to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add all the ingredients listed in the table ‘To Temper‘. Fry in low flame till nice smell wafts.
7. Now, add the ground red chilli and ginger-garlic paste. Then, saute for 2 minutes in very low flame. Add the onion, tomato and saute till the raw smells leave.
8. Add the soya chunks and stir well. Then, add the mint and coriander leaves.
9. Give a quick stir. Then, pour 1/2 cup of curd and 3 cups of water.
10. Once the water starts to roll boil, add the rice and required salt. Mix well, simmer the flame and cover it with a lid.
11. Let it cook until all the water is absorbed. Now the rice would have been cooked 3/4th. Then, squeeze the lemon juice and give a gentle mix. Top up with little more mint leaves and keep the pan aside.
12. For Dum: Heat an old dosa Tawa and place the pan over the Tawa. Seal it with an aluminium foil and cover it with the lid tightly. Pour little water on the dosa Tawa. Cook for 15 mins in low flame and switch off the flame. Give a standing time of 10 mins and give a very gentle mix with a fork.
Serve this Ambur Vegetable Biryani with vengaya thayir pachadi.
Ambur Biryani Recipe
Welcome to my blog www.asmallbite.com. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you’re enjoying my recipes to make the taste forever. I am Priya Santhamohan, writer and photographer (with hubby’s help) of this blog.
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