Easy Fish Biriyani

The Italians have the Risotto, Spanish have Paella and Indians have the Biriyani. I have been hunting for a good fish biriyani recipe and experimenting on how to create this dish for a while now.  I think what I did the last time finally got the stamp of approval from the family so here it is - a quick biriyani that keeps the flavour of the fish without overpowering it with the spices of the biriyani. Unfortunately I did not take pictures as I went along as I was in a hurry to cook the dish - but it is very simple so do try it.

Ingredients:

1 kilo firm fleshed fish – I used Spanish Mackeral – bought it in the form of cutlets and quartered them - courtesy Preston Market

Wash the fish and marinate it while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Marinade for fish:

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons chilli powder

2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste

1 teaspoon garam masala (I made my own)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

About 4 cups (700 gms approximately) of biriyani rice – I used India Gate aged Basmati

Soak rice for 20 minutes while you do the rest of the prep work.

After the rice has soaked, wash and keep in colander to drain.

2 large red onions – sliced finely

6-8 green chillies – slit

2 tomatoes – sliced finely

1 tin coconut milk

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons of coriander leaves chopped finely

2 tablespoons mint leaves chopped finely

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 cup natural yogurt

½ teaspoon turmeric

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Cashew nuts for garnish

Extra chopped coriander leaves for garnish

3 limes – halved and ready for juicing.

Garam Masala:

10-12 peppercorns

5-6 cloves

5-6 cardamoms

1 tablespoon fennel

2 star anise broken up

1 teaspoon cumin

1 2” piece cinnamon

Dry roast all the above, powder and use as needed

Method:

Turn oven on to 200 degrees C.

In a thick flat bottomed pan, add about 1/2 a cup or slightly less of oil. Let the oil heat up.  Lay marinated fish pieces and shallow fry on both sides.  Keep fried fish aside.

Use the same oil to fry onions golden brown. Set aside half of the onions for garnish.

With the rest of the onions, add the bay leaves, green chillies and tomatoes.  Saute for a few more minutes.  Add chopped coriander and mint and garam masala.  Add 8 cups of liquid – this includes the 1 tin of coconut milk, 1 cup yogurt and water to make up the rest of the 8 cups. Add the turmeric powder.

Add salt to taste.  Let the liquid mix boil.  Once it boils, add rice and let the rice absorb all of the liquid.

In a deep oven proof dish, layer rice, fish pieces, then a squeeze of lime juice, some fried onions; rice and fish again and so on till you finish with fish pieces at the top and rest of the friend onions.  Squeeze some more lime juice, cover with aluminium foil and keep in the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, take the dish out, garnish with cashew nuts and fresh chopped coriander and another squeeze of lime juice.

Serve hot with raita and take care to use a flat wide spoon so you don’t break the fish pieces.