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13/04/2026
Ambur chicken biryani recipe is a dum-style biryani from Ambur, a town in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, located on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway. It is a one-pot meal with succulent pieces of meat cooked with aromatic jeera samba rice, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and whole spices. The flavour and taste of the meat are more dominant in Ambur biryani than in other varieties, because fewer spices are used.
What sets Ambur biryani apart from every other biryani in India comes down to three things. First, the rice: Ambur biryani is made with a short-grained rice called jeera samba or seeraga samba, which is indigenous to Tamil Nadu. It has small oval grains, one-third the size of basmati rice, and is hardier than other rice varieties, which makes it perfect for biryani.
Second, the spices used: the preparation of Ambur biryani uses no spice powder and no garam masala. Instead, the chicken biryani recipe uses only a few whole spices of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. The spiciness of the biryani comes from dried red chilli paste.
Third, one specific ingredient that appears in almost every other biryani, ghee, is deliberately absent from the authentic Ambur version. Biryanis are usually layered rice-based dishes. However, Ambur briyani is not layered but mixed. Once the chicken or mutton has been cooked, semi-cooked rice is added in and then mixed before the pot is sealed and cooked till done. This mixing approach, combined with seeraga samba's unique flavour absorption property, yields a biryani that is lighter on the stomach, mildly spiced, and distinctly meaty in character.
The story of Ambur biryani can be traced back to the Mughal kitchens. The Nawabs of Arcot, established by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, ruled the Carnatic region of South India mainly in the 18th century and used Arcot, near Ambur, as their base.
About a century ago, Hasin Baig, a bawarchi from the kitchens of the Nawab of Arcot, relocated to his hometown, Ambur and started preparing biryani there with a recipe similar to the Arcot biryani. While the biryani at the Nawab's court was prepared with basmati rice, Baig started making his Ambur version using the cheaper seeraga samba rice. The chicken biryani recipe was sold on bicycles and slowly became so popular that a small shop was set up, and people started visiting from outside the town.
It was not always called Ambur biryani. Back then, for decades, this was Arcot biryani. But many of Ambur's legendary eateries can take credit for this change in name. Hasin Baig's son Khursheed took over the business, which was then taken over by his son Nazeer Ahmed. In all, the family nurtures a heritage of over 110 years.
Chicken: 500 gm
Seeraga samba rice: 1½ cups
Onions (sliced): 2 medium
Tomatoes (chopped): 2 medium
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Curd (yoghurt): ½ cup
Green chillies (slit): 3
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Mint leaves: 1 handful
Coriander leaves: 1 handful
Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Bay leaf: 1
Cloves: 4
Cinnamon stick: 1 small
Cardamom pods: 4
Red chilli paste or powder: 1-2 tbsp
Turmeric: 1 pinch
Wash the seeraga samba rice well in multiple changes of water. Optional: soak for 10 minutes. Then drain the water and keep it aside.
Remove the seeds from the red chillies and soak them for an hour. Add a little water and blend the chillies into a paste.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the whole spices of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Add two tablespoons of onions and saute again for 2 minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. Add the coriander and mint for around 2 minutes.
Add the red chilli paste and saute until the oil starts to separate from the masala. Add half a cup of the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Then add the tomatoes and saute until mushy.
Add the chicken now, turn the heat down and cook it until the chicken turns white, around 3 minutes.
Add salt and curd, mix and cover the pan with a lid, cooking on low flame for 5 minutes. The chicken will release moisture and turn tender.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and a few drops of oil. Add the soaked and drained rice. Cook the rice until it is ¾ done.
Check the chicken, and see if it is soft and has released a lot of moisture, then add the coriander and mint leaves into it.
Drain the rice and add it to the chicken pot and mix.
Cover and cook on the lowest heat until the rice absorbs moisture. You can also use a dosa tawa for dum cooking (put the biryani pot over the tawa).
Cook until the rice is done, then open the lid and mix again. Add very little water if the rice is undercooked until it is done. Then fluff the cooked rice and let it cook for 2 more minutes.
Switch off the stove and let it rest for a bit, and fluff up again before serving.
Ambur chicken biryani recipe is rich, flavourful, and slightly oily, so it pairs best with side dishes that balance the spices and aid digestion. Traditional accompaniments complement the biryani’s aroma and taste, adding freshness, tanginess, and a hint of spice to every bite. The traditional side dishes for Ambur chicken biryani are:
Ennai Kathirikai: A spicy and tangy brinjal (eggplant) curry cooked with coconut, tamarind, and spices. Perfectly complements the biryani.
Onion or Cucumber Raita: Sliced raw onions or cucumber mixed in curd, sometimes with tomato and green chilli. Helps balance the spices.
Dalcha: A lentil and brinjal gravy, sometimes served at larger gatherings for added variety.
Suleimani Chai: Lemon black tea, recommended after the meal to aid digestion, as the biryani is rich and fatty.
Nationwide, Ambur biryani might not be flying on radar like the Hyderabadi or Lucknowi biryanis, but it's quite cherished in its home state. Its special fragrant and short-grain rice and understated spice profile reflect the region’s approach to flavour and one-pot cooking methods. The meat does most of the talking rather than the rice, and every bite carries the subtle aroma of the spices, making it a complete and satisfying meal.
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