The Biryani gets its name from the Persian word
"biryaan" meaning roasted or fried. Among all types of Biryanis
the Fish Biryani has a distinct place especially among the people living in the
coastal areas. This particular recipe of Fish Biryani is significantly
modified and simplified to get the same great taste without putting much
efforts. This recipe would prove helpful to those working ladies and
college goers who don't have enough time to spend in the kitchen but at the
same time don't want to compromise on taste!
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| Home made Fish Biryani Photo: Seema Iqbal |
Ingredients set 1 (for marinating)
King fish: 10 - 12 pieces (steaks) of medium size
Oil: 3 tablespoon
Red chilli powder: 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tablespoon
Biryani Masala: 2 tablespoon (store-bought)
Lemon juice: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Ingredients set 2 (for preparing masala base)
Biryani Masala: 2 tablespoon (store-bought)
Coriander leaves (cilantro): 1 cup (coarsely chopped)
Mint leaves: 10 - 12 leaves (fresh)
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 and 1/2 tablespoon
Green chilli: 5 - 7 No. (slit lengthwise)
Fried onion: 1/2 cup
Lemon juice: 1/4 cup
Ingredients set 3: (for preparing rice)
Long grain Basmati rice: 500 grms. (soaked in water for 20+
minutes)
Oil: 2 teaspoon
Shahi zeera: 1 tablespoon
Clove: 5 Nos.
Cinnamon: 1 and 1/2 inch piece
Bay leaves: 3 Nos.
Star anise (Biryani flower): 2 nos.
Salt to taste
Ingredients set: 4 (for Dum process)
Saffron color (Biryani color): 1 pinch, dissolved in little
water
Fried onion: 1 cup
Oil: 1 - 2 tablespoon (use oil which is used to prepare
fish)
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| Fish Biryani being prepared Photo: Seema Iqbal |
Method - step by step - for easy cooking.
Step 1 - marinating fish: Take mixing
bowl and add fish pieces, chilli powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala, oil,
lemon juice, salt (Ingredients set 1), mix and marinate it for 10 to 15
minutes.
Step 2 - preparing fish: Take a heavy bottom
non-stick pan and add oil and heat it, once the oil is hot shallow fry the
marinated fish one side at time. (cook for 70- 80 % only). Then remove
the fried fish carefully and keep them aside. Better use a spatula/turner
to remove fish.
Step 3 - preparing masala base: Now take
the same non-stick pan which was used for shallow frying the fish. Add
biryani masala, mint leaves, coriander leaves (cilantro), ginger garlic paste,
slit green chilli, lemon juice, fried onion (Ingredients set 2) to the left
over oil in the pan and cook it for 10 minutes occasionally mixing all the
ingredients. Now take half of this mixture and pour it on top of fried
fish, and keep the rest half of the mixture aside.
Step 4 - preparing rice: Now take sufficient
water in a rice-pot and boil it adding oil, shahi zeera, cloves, cinnamon, bay
leaves, star anise and salt (Ingredients set 3). Once the water
boils, add soaked rice and cook until the rice is 80% done and then drain the
water immediately.
Step 5 - dum process: Take a rice pot, add rest
of masala mixture (referred in step 3), add 1 - 2 tablespoon of water
in which rice was cooked and bring the mixture to a boil. Then spread the
half of the rice (which is 80% done) evenly on top of this boiling masala, add
some saffron colour, fried onions and some oil in which masala was prepared,
(Ingredients set 4). Now add rest of the rice and repeat adding saffron
colour, fried onions and oil. Now arrange the shallow fried fish
pieces (steaks) on top of rice carefully and then cover the pot tightly, reduce
the flame right after one minute. Let it be on this Dum process for 15 -
20 minutes on a very low flame. Now the delicious fish biryani is all
done and ready to serve!
Step 6 - serving: Transfer the fish pieces
to a separate bowl. Transfer rice to serving plate, add fish pieces with
its masala on top, garnish with mint leaves and chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Riata is a good combination.
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| Some of the ingredients used Photo: Seema Iqbal |
Important and useful tips:
Use only fresh ingredients for alluring aroma and taste.
Use fresh king fish (it is also known as Surmai in some areas
and Anjal in Mangalore area) for better results. Do not add
fish underneath the rice because the fish may break into pieces.
The recipe of this Fish Biryani is also published at:
