Fish is probably my favourite protein and this Fish Biryani recipe is one of a kind. It is easy to make, extremely flavourful and even those who do normally enjoy fish will LOVE this meal
Ingredients:
- Fish – 500 gms (cleaned and sliced)
- Long grain Rice – 2 1/2 cups
Marination:
- Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
- Pepper Powder – A fat pinch
- Turmeric Powder – A fat pinch
- Salt – 1/2 tspFor the garnish:
- Fried onions( one large onion)
- Chopped coriander leaves (2 Tbsp)
- A pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp of warm milk
- Kewda water(1 Tsp)
- Gulab jal (1 Tsp)
- Sliced lemonsFor the gravy:
- Onion – 3, sliced
- Ginger – 1 inch
- Garlic – 3/4 pod
- Green chilly – 2
- Curd – 4 tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
- Coriander seed – (1 Tbsp, crushed)
- Garam masala- To sprinkle over rice.
- Salt as needed.
- Oil/Ghee as needed.(about 4-5 tbsp)
Whole spices:
- Bay leaf – 4
- Black cardamom – 2
- Green Cardamom – 5-6
- Cloves – 6-8
- Cinnamon – 2 sticks, broken
- Mace – 1/2
Method:
- Grind coarsely ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Keep them aside.
Chop coriander leaves.Keep aside. Wash the rice and put it on a strainer. Keep it aside. - Marinate fish with all under marination
- I used three large onions – one for frying and the other two for the gravy.
- Heat a heavy bottomed large pan Heat 3 tbsp ghee or oil and Fry the onions and remove to a plate.keep this aside.
- In the same pan, slowly put the marinated fish and lightly shallow fry it remove to another plate.keep aside.
- Heat another burner and in a big vessel bring water to a boil. Add half of the whole spices . Add salt, when water comes to a boil add the strained and cleaned rice. When the rice is 3/4 cooked, strain the rice and keep aside.
- In the same pan (in which we fried the fish) add in half of the whole spices.
- And the sliced onions. Add in 1 tsp salt.
- Once color starts to change, add in the grinded ginger-garlic-green chilli paste. Simmer the fire and let it fry for 2 min.
- Then add in the Kashmiri chilli powder, crushed coriander and turmeric powder. Mix well for a min.
- Add in the curd. Mix well.
- Once everything is nicely mixed and oil comes out. sprinkle in the chopped coriander and mix. (keep a little coriander leaves for garnish).
- Gently place the fish on top of the gravy. Close the lid and simmer for a few min so that the fish absorbs all the flavors and incorporate the gravy.
- Now slowly turn the fish over, carefully, do not break the fish and simmer for 1 min.
- Remove half of the fish into a plate.
- Spread half of the cooked rice evenly on top and sprinkle fried onion, coriander leaves, and garam masala powder.
- Then place the fish on top of this. Keep the fire on low flame. So we really have to be quick otherwise the bottom might get burned
- Again top with the rice, fried onion, garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, and sprinkle little saffron soaked milk, kewda water and rose water. Close the lid and put a heavy thing on top of the lid. keep it on for 5 min. Switch off the fire.Keep it closed for a few more min.
- Serve immediately, with papad and onion raita.
