Thalassery chicken biryani (Thalassery biryani)

1. For the garnish fry the thinly sliced onion in the 20 g of ghee until golden brown, then separately the cashews and raisins (the latter only until they puff up); set aside.

2. Cut the chicken legs in two at the joint and pull off the skin. In a pan sweat the sliced onions in the ghee for 12 minutes until soft and golden, add the ginger, garlic and green chillies crushed to a paste, after 2 minutes the tomatoes, and cook until soft.

3. Add the chicken, yoghurt, turmeric, garam masala, salt, half the chopped mint and coriander and the lemon juice and cook covered over low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick.

4. Wash the kaima rice and leave to drain for 15 minutes. Fry the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in the ghee in a pan for 2 minutes, then the rice, and pour in the boiling salted water. Cook covered over low heat for 12 minutes until the water is absorbed.

5. Spread half the rice over the chicken stew, sprinkle with half the fried onion, cashews, raisins and remaining herbs, then top with the rest of the rice and the garnish. Cover tightly and cook "dum" over low heat for 20 minutes.

6. Serve with coconut pickle (achar) and date chutney, as on the Malabar coast.

Tip: The biryani of Kerala's Muslim community is made with short-grained, fragrant kaima (jeerakasala) rice, which absorbs the spices better; if you can't find it, use basmati, though the flavour will be less distinctive.