FISH BIRYANI

 

Fish biryani is a famous dish mainly from the Pakistan subcontinent. This recipe is of the Pakistani style fish biryani made with boneless fish and layered with aromatic Basmati rice and a flavorful fish biryani masala.

 

Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste substituted with ½ teaspoon ginger paste and ½ teaspoon garlic paste
  • 500 g boneless fish fillets see note 1
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup oil divided
  • 2 ½ cups / 500g basmati rice
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Direction

1.           Put the lemon juice, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, crushed coriander seeds, and ginger garlic paste in a small bowl. Mix well, and then apply the paste to the boneless fish slices. Leave the fish slices in the paste for about 20 minutes for better taste.

2.           Heat ½ cup oil in a deep frying pot. The same pot will be used to make the fish masala later so pick a medium or large sized pot.

3.           Once the oil is hot, add the fish slices and shallow fry for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes on each side till the fish is almost cooked completely. Remove the fried fish and set aside.

4.           Start preparing the rice, after the fish has been set to immerse. Thoroughly wash the Basmati rice, and immerse it in water for about 15 minutes.

5.           Place a medium pan over medium or high heat and boil 1 ½ liters of water. Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice, salt, bay leaf, and cloves. Wait for it to come to a boil, and then cook for about 5 minutes. The rice should be about 65% cooked – test by breaking the rice with your finger or tasting it. Sewer the rice, and set separately.

6.           Take a large pot or Dutch oven – it should be enough to fit the rice, the fish, and the masala and still have 2 – 3 inches of space from the top.

7.           Layer ⅓ rice at the bottom, and then add ⅓rd. of the fish masala gravy. Top with another ⅓ of the rice, followed by the fish masala gravy, and ½ of the fish slices. Top with the remaining rice, the remaining fish masala gravy, and the fried fish.

8.           Sprinkle with coriander/cilantro leaves, mint leaves, the remaining fried onions, lemon slices, and green chilies.

9.           Cover the pan and layer the top with aluminum foil, or a kitchen cloth to seal the top tightly. This is an important step as it helps in confirming that the steam doesn’t escape. A heavy weight can also be kept on the top to help in this step.

10.        Place the pot on an insulator – this can be, a flat griddle or a heat diffuser. If you have a cast iron Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pan, this diffuser is not necessary. Turn the heat to medium for about 5 – 7 minutes. This will help in creating the steam.

11.        Once the steam is formed, turn the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes on ‘dump’ – this means that the rice will cook in its own steam. Turn off the cooktop, and let the biryani rest for about 10 minutes.

12.        To serve, carefully mix the biryani using a small plate or a rice spoon. Move the rice from the sides, and lightly mix ensuring that the rice and the fried fish don’t break. Serve the fish biryani hot with yoghurt or raita or with your favorite sauce.