Located on the northern tip of Kerala, just a two-hour drive south from Mangaluru International Airport, Mangaluru is one of the most charming towns in northern Kerala. It was the song Uyire/Tu Hi Re from Mani Ratnam’s film Bombay that brought Bekal’s magnificent fort to a wider audience. It wasn’t just these spectacular views. Resorts like the Taj Bekal Resort and Spa along the Arabian Sea have made Bekal a magnet for travellers looking to get off the beaten track in Kerala. I cycled from Taj Bekal to the 17th-century Bekal Fort – Kerala’s largest and best-preserved fort. That wasn’t the only discovery I made on this recent trip. It was a biryani whose story goes back to the Kannur Central Jail.
Northern Kerala is also the state’s biryani hot spot. It’s where the famous Wayanadan Kaima or Jeerakasala rice is used in different variations of Malabari biryani. Executive Chef Anbalagan Kesavapillai, who heads the kitchens at the Taj Bekal Resort, went in search of inspiration for creating the best local biryani. The journey took him to Kannur, about three hours from Bekal.
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In 2010, the Kerala government took up a unique initiative, an experiment that began in 2010 at the Central Prison in Thiruvananthapuram. It was called ‘Food for Freedom’ and was aimed at realising the idea that state prisons are reform centres. The kitchens were modernised and prisoners were trained to cook basic food items like chapatis, which would later be sold to the general public. Prisoners also received compensation for their efforts in the kitchen. Gradually, vegetable curry/chicken curry/egg curry packets were added to the menu. Kannur Central Jail became a part of this programme in 2012. The government announced that this factory kitchen had earned over 8.5 crores within 5 years. One of the hero dishes of this kitchen was biryani.
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I tasted the famous Kannur jail biryani at the Taj Bekal Resort. Chef Anbalagan said that this dish was included in their menu to give their diners an idea of the local specialities. This delicious biryani is made with the same short grain Jeerakasala rice which is the popular variety for biryani in the region. One of the key ingredients is onions and how they are fried till golden brown gives a great flavour. The Taj Bekal version adds some finer ingredients but the basic profile is the same. It pays tribute to a unique programme that remains a model for prisons as correctional centres and also provides affordable food to the general public. You can try this delicious recipe at home:
Kannur Jail Biryani Recipe
Photo Credit: Taj Bekal Resort & Spa
Recipe courtesy – Anbalagan Kesavapillai, Executive Chef, Taj Bekal Resort & Spa, Kerala
Material
- 100 gms chicken
- 75 gms onion slices
- 40 gms tomato slices
- 10 gms green chillies
- 5 gms ginger
- 5 gms garlic
- 4 gms coriander leaves
- 2 gms mint
- 2 gms turmeric powder
- 3 gms chili powder
- 4 gms curd
- 20 gms ghee
- 20 gms refined oil
- 120 g rice (Jeerakasala rice or Wayanadan Kaima rice works best)
- 1 gram cinnamon
- 1 gram cardamom
- 1 gram cloves
- 1 gram bay leaves
- 3 gms cashew nuts
- 2 gms dried grapes
- 5 gms pineapple
Method:
- Wash the chicken and marinate it with curd, turmeric powder, salt and garam masala powder. Marinate for at least an hour.
- Soak the rice and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
- Fry the onions and nuts till they turn crispy brown and keep aside.
- Boil the soaked rice with ghee, salt, sugar and whole garam masala for 7 minutes and then strain it.
- Use an uruli (a ‘lagan’ style brass vessel) to make the biryani masala. Add refined oil and heat it, when the oil starts smoking add chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chilli paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, chopped tomatoes, pineapple chops and salt and cook till the oil leaves the sides.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook. Lastly add chopped mint, coriander and garam masala powder. Then add boiled rice over the chicken masala, along with ghee, crispy fried onions and fried nuts and cook it dum style for about 10-15 minutes.
compatible
Homemade Lemon Pickle:
- Cut 2 lemons (4 lemons each), remove seeds and marinate by adding a pinch of salt, 1 gram turmeric powder, 20 ml vinegar and a little roasted mustard powder. Let it marinate for two days.
- Add ‘tadka’ (tempering) with oil, 1 gm mustard and 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Stir well and serve with biryani.
Kerala Style Onion Challa (Salad/Raita):
Add 15 gms chopped onion, 15 gms chopped tomato, 3 tbsps curd, salt (to taste), 2-3 sprigs of green curry leaves and green chillies (to taste). Serve with biryani.
