'Making Kozhikode biryani is like shooting movies:' Remembering Mamukkoya's love for the dish

After entertaining Mollywood for decades through myriad roles, actor Mamukkoya breathed his last on Wednesday. Alongside movies, he was also a man of many interests, ranging from theatre and music to culture, football and more. Not many knew that yet another passion of his was food. The actor, who has also done various TV shows on food, once prepared authentic Kozhikode biryani for the viewers of Mazhavil Manorama.

As he shared the recipe with the audience, the actor quipped, “Making Kozhikode biryani is like shooting movies.

The process can be boring, but the end result is wonderful.” The actor has played the role of a cook in movies like Kauthukavarthakal. “In about 60 movies, I have acted as a tea shop owner too,” said the actor as he prepared the elaborate dish.

The recipe of this dish has the 'aunthentic' Kozhikodan signature of the actor, just as the umpteen memorable characters he gifted us. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1k biryani rice
3 cups sliced onion
200 gms ghee
200 g chicken
¼ cup curd
3 tsp crushed green chilly
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin powder
1 stem mint leaves
2 stem curry leaves
1 sliced tomato
Salt as required

Preparation
Heat a pan
Add ghee
Add onion and fry it and set aside
Place a pan on stove, pour some water and add salt as it boils
Meanwhile, marinate the chicken with onion,curd, green chilly, crushed ginger, turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin powder, crushed garlic, mint leaves, curry leaves, salt, and tomato in a pressure cooker and cook it
Mix well
Add ghee over it and cover it
As the water boils on the pan, add rice into it
When it is cooked, add it to the cooked chicken
Layer by layer, sprinkle cashew, raisins and fried onion over the rice
Cook it for 10min
Delicious Mamukkoya-style Kozhikodan biryani is ready to serve