"The doors to Thattukada open up to huge photographs of vallam kali, the traditional boat race of the state. Husband-wife duo Biju Gopinath and Preethy Biju bring their state to life on the plate through their chicken biryani cooked in coconut oil, which is generously garnished with raisins, cashew nuts, and mint. This mild biryani is served with a boiled egg, onion and tomato raita, lemon pickle, and pappadam. Cooked fresh in the dum style for around 30-40 minutes in an aluminium vessel, the meat is tender and juicy and the long grain basmati rice is soft and fluffy, with the flavours of pepper, cardamom, cloves, and chilli powder in every bite." - Advika Reddy
