Dindigul Thalapakatti Biryani / Thalapakattu Mutton Biryani Recipe

Thalapakkatu biryani also known as thalapakatti biryani is popular Dindigul biryani. I got this recipe from local magazine Num thozhi. Why this biryani is called as thalapakatti biryani, Mr. Nagasamy Naidu who ran the Ananda villas hotel in Dindigul wore a thalapa( Indian turban) while serving his customers. Later the taste of biryani and his thalapa( turban) stayed in peoples memory and henceforth called thalapakati Biryani.

Dindigul Thalapakatti Mutton Biryani

Ingredients

Mutton pieces with bone- 1/2 kg ( 500 gms )

Jeera Samba Rice- 1/2 kg ( 3 cups)

Small onions / shallots- 300 gms

Tomatoes medium- 3 nos

Green chillies- 4 nos

Ginger and Garlic paste- 4 tbsp

Red chilli powder- 2 to 3 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Purina leaves- 1 bunch

Coriander leaves- 1/4 bunch

Salt to taste

Ghee- 4 tbsp( optional )

Water- 4 and 1/2 cups

Masala tempering

Bay leaves- 2 nos

Cinnamon stick 1" piece- 2 nos

Cardamom- 4 nos

Cloves- 6 nos

Marati moggu- 1 no

Annachi poo- little

Star Anise- 1 no

Oil- 1/4 cup

Thalapakatti Biryani

Method

Peel and chop the shallots. Chop the tomatoes. Clean and chop both pudina and coriander leaves. Break the green chillies into half. Wash the rice and soak in 4 cups of water for 30 mins. Clean and wash mutton pieces. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the whole spices tempering to the hot oil and saute for 1 minute. Add onions and green chillies to the pan, saute until onion turns pale. Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute until raw smell of ginger and garlic leaves. Add chopped pudina and coriander leaves( reserve some to garnish) to the pan and saute for 1 minute. Add the mutton pieces and fry for few minutes until mutton turns pale and slightly dries. At this stage add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder to the mutton and mix well until tomatoes are tender. Add a 1/2 cup water to the pan, cover with lid and pressure cook mutton pieces until tender for 10 mins or for 3 whistles. Once pan pressure is released, add soaked rice along with water and required salt to the mutton and bring to boil. Stir well until 1/2 of the water is absorbed by the rice, reduce heat, cover pan with lid and cook for about 15 mins until rice is tender( do not pressure cook rice). Once rice is cooked and tender, add ghee, remaining pudina coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot dindigul thalapakati biryani with dalcha and onion raita.

Thalapakattu Mutton Biryani