Fish Biriyani

Ingredients:

For the Fish marination

• Fish cut into pieces – 1 Kg
• Garam Masala Powder –  1 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder-1 tsp
• Vineger /lemon juice-1 tbsp

For the Fish Masala

• Fish cut into pieces – 1 Kg
• Onions- 6 sliced
• Green Chilies – 15 to 20 depending on spice level
• Ginger – 1 big piece
• Garlic- 2 Tbsp crushed
• Tomato – 2 big chopped
• Curd -1/2 cup beaten
• Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup chopped
• Garam Masala Powder –  1 Tbsp
• Turmeric-1/2 tsp
• Chilli pwd-1 tbsp
• Coriander pwd-1/2 tbsp
• Lemon juice – juice of 1 lemon
• Ghee + Oil mixed – 1/3 cup

For  Rice

• Basmati Rice –  4 cups
• Water as needed
• Lemon juice – from 1 lemon
• Cinnamon – 1 inch
• Cardamom – 4
• Cloves  - 4
• Ghee -1/4 cup
• Oil – 1/4 cup
• Salt

Other Ingredients

• Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
• Raisins – 1/2 cup
• Onion – 2 very thinly sliced
• Rose essence – 1 tsp mixed in 1 Tbsp water
• Yellow/Orange color – 1/2 tsp mixed in 1 Tbsp milk (optional)
• Garam masala powder – 1 Tbsp
• Coriander leaves – handful chopped
• Wheat flour / All purpose flour – 2 cups
• Water – required

Method:

To make the Fish masala

• Fry the fish pieces and set aside.
• In  pan, add the ghee + oil mix and let it heat up. Normally ghee is used for biryani making. But i mix ghee with sunflower oil so that I get the taste of ghee with less cholesterol content in my biryani.
• Add the sliced onions to the oil and keep frying till it becomes translucent.
• Run the green chilies, ginger and garlic through a chopper so that they get chopped very finely. Add this mix to the onions and fry till the raw smell is gone.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the masala is cooked through and mushy.
• Add all powders.
• Add the fried fish pieces and the required amount of salt to this and mix well. Cook covered for 15 minutes on a medium low flame till cooked through.Should not over cook
• Add the beaten curd and cook till the gravy is thick and coats the fish.
• Add the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Take the pan off the flame and keep aside.

To make the  rice

• Wash the rice till the water runs clear. Drain the rice using a colander, till all the water is gone.
• Keep a pan on the stove and add the ghee and oil to it.
• Add the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to the pan and saute 1 min.
• Add the drained rice and fry for 6 minutes .
• Add salt and boiling water to the rice.
• Add the lemon juice to the water, Off the stove when it is partially cooked(ie,3/4 cooked)

Assembly

• During this time, take some oil in a pan. Fry the cashews till a nice golden brown, the raisins till they puff up and the onions till they are browned and caramelized. Keep aside.
• Now that the fish and the rice is cooked it is time for the assembly.
• Take the big pan with the fish in it. Layer 1/3 of the rice over the fish.
• Sprinkle some caramelized onions, cashews and raisins over it.
• Sprinkle some coriander leaves and a little garam masala powder over the rice.
• Dot the rice with the milk color solution(can use turmeric with water) in some places and pour 1 tsp of the rose water over the rice.
• Repeat this process thrice.
• Now it is time to put dum for the biryani. Dum is the process of layering the meat and rice, then cooking it by sealing the vessel with a layer of dough, and is cooked on dum.
• Stove top method – Place a tawa or a frying pan on the lowest burner of your stove. The flame should be at the lowest setting. Place the biryani vessel on top of the frying pan and let cook for 20 minutes.Cover the biriyani pot with a aluminium foil tightly.And place the lid.
• After 20 mins...
• Take the pan off the heat source and break open the seal. The smell will be amazing.
• Mix it up slightly if you want. Else use a long spoon to scoop out the layers right from the rice to the fish onto a plate.
• Serve the biryani hot with onion salad, pappadam and a good pickle on the side.