Kerala’s Thalassery biryani differs from others in that it does not use the long-grain aromatic Basmati rice in the making of biryani. What it uses instead is the Jeerakasala rice – a short-grained local variant, which is cooked separately from the meat and then combined to blend the flavours. Being from Kerala – the spice pot of India, Thalassery biryani uses a large number of , including, mace, peppers, fennel, cinnamon and others. Another distinguishing feature of Thalassery biryani is the bista or fried onions, cashews and raisins that must be used to garnish the biryani before it is served.
