Ingredients
- Fish Marinade:
- 5-6 Fillets of king fish or pomfret or any other fish (approx. total weight 500 gm)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 TSP SALT
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Ingredients for Rice:
- 4 cups basmati rice ( washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour)
- Black peppercorns 4-5
- 1-2 inch cinnamon stick
- star anise 2
- cloves 4-6
- bay leaves 2-3
- green cardamom 4
- black cardamom 2
- Ingredients for Gravy/Masala:
- Onions 2 big (or 3 medium sized), thinly sliced
- Tomatoes 3 big sized, finely chopped
- garlic paste 1 tbsp
- ginger paste 1 tbsp
- red chili powder 2 tsp
- turmeric powder 2 tsp
- cumin powder 2tsp
- coriander powder 2tsp
- yogurt 1.5 cup
- Ingredients For Layers:
- fried onions
- lemon sliced
- Mint leave chopped
- coriander leaves chopped as needed
- green chili thickly sliced
- yellow food colour mixed in water
Directions
Fish biryani is easy and simple recipe, Because fish gets cook faster compared to chicken and lamb. Also, fish does not require more time of marination.
♦ Fish is low in saturated fat, an important source of protein, vitamins (D, B2), minerals (iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium) filled with omega-3 fatty acids, rich in calcium and phosphorus. Also recommended by Health experts that eating fish at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet that can lower blood pressure and help reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The Fish flavours the dish and with the addition of spices this biryani
becomes more tasty and tempting.
Steps
1 Done | Marination:First of all, remove the scales of the fish if present. Apply generous amount of wheat flour(atta) or salt and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. This helps to eliminate the odour from the fish meat. Wash the wheat flour from the fish thoroughly with running water. pat dry the fish pieces. Fish is ready for marination. |
2 Done | Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garlic paste , ginger paste and lemon juice. Mix everything together and apply of fish pieces. Cover and marinate on the counter top for 1 hour if the weather is cold. if its hot then you can refrigerator it for 1 hour. |
3 Done | Frying:Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a pot and add marinated fish pieces. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side on high flame. Do not let it brown. |
4 Done | Rice Preparation:Wash and then soak the rice for about 20-30 minutes. boil them with black peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, cloves,bay leaf, green cardamom and black cardamoms. Do not cook it all the way. it should be about 80-90% done. Drain the water off. |
5 Done | Gravy preparation:While the rice is cooking, heat the half cup of oil in a deep pan and then fry the onion slices until golden. Remove a quarter of the fried onions(these will be used later for layering the biryani) and leave the rest in the pan. |
6 Done | Add ginger paste, garlic paste and saute until aromatic. add chopped tomatoes, saute for a minute or two until softened a little. Add yogurt, prunes(totally optional), turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cover and cook until everything is well cooked and the oil starts to release from the sides. |
7 Done | Now add the fried fish along with its juices. Also add the left over fish marinade. You can add a bit of water(less then half a cup) if you find the gravy too dry. cover and cook in the masala for about 15 minutes on medium to low heat. |
8 Done | Layering:Now let's start layering, put half of the rice in a big skillet, add some lemon slices, mint, coriander, green chillies and yellow food colour. Remember to sprinkle the reserved fried onions. |
9 Done | Add the cooked fish gravy on top. Do not put the fish pieces as yet. Repeat the process for the second layer and add all the fish pieces on top. |
10 Done | Cover with a tight lid and place on very low heat for about 10-15 minutes to steam. once done, open and fluff up the biryani gently. |
11 Done | Serve hot and Enjoy this delicious Fish Biryani with mint Raita. |
