Fish Biryani
recipe Image
 
Popular Indian recipe made of Rice, Fish and spices cooked for the special occasion.
Preparation Time : 15-20 mins

Cooking Time : 1hr - 1 1/2hrs

Serves : 8-10
Ingredients:
  • White firm fish - 1kg cut into big chunks
  • Basmati Rice - 1kg
  • Oil - 125ml for the korma and 25ml for the rice
  • Cinnamon - 2 pieces of 3 cm long strip
  • Cardamom - 3
  • Cloves - 4
  • Onion - 3 medium
  • Tomato - 4
  • Green Chilli - 4
  • Ginger-Garlic paste - 120g or 4 heaped tblsp
  • Mint leaves chopped - 3 tblsp
  • Coriander leaves chopped - 3 tblsp
  • Chilli powder - 2 tsp
  • Pepper ground - 1 tsp
  • Yogurt (Curd) - 3 tblsp
  • Bay leaves - 2-3 (optional)
  • Ghee / Butter - 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice - 15ml
  • Water - as required
  • Salt - to taste

Ingredients to fry fish

  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
  • Chilli powder - 2 tsp for medium spicy or 3 tsp for extra spicy
  • Lemon juice - 2 tblsp
  • Oil - 150ml
  • Salt -as required

Method:


Preparation



  1. Chop all the onion, tomato, coriander and mint leaves; Slit the chilli.


  2. Wash and soak the fish in turmeric powder, chilli powder, lemon juice and salt for about 10-15 minutes.


Method to fry fish pieces



  1. Heat a frying pan on the stove and add the oil listed under Ingredients to fry fish.


  2. When the oil is hot enough, add as many pieces of fish on the frying pan.


  3. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on a medium heat on one side. Take care not to fry fully. Fish should only be fried halfway through. Otherwise fish bone gets mixed into the rice.


  4. Turn them over and fry for about 2-3 minutes on a medium heat.


  5. Remove them from the pan.


  6. Repeat the above process for any remaining fish.


  7. Keep this fried oil.


Method to make korma



  1. Before doing the following step, wash and soak the rice in a large saucepan of water for about 10-15 minutes.


  2. Heat a 7-8 litre pan on a stove and add most of the oil. Leave about 25ml of oil for the rice.


  3. Season with cinnamon and cloves.


  4. Filter the oil that was used to fry the fish and add it.


  5. Add chopped onion; saute for about 10-12 minutes on a medium heat until they become translucent.


  6. Add the slit chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for about 4-5 minutes.


  7. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs, chilli powder, ground pepper and fry for about 8-10 minutes.


  8. Add yoghurt and salt; Stir for about 1-2 minutes.


  9. Add fish; Let it boil for about 2-3 minutes; Take the fish out of the masala and keep on a separate plate.


  10. Add about 300ml of water to the pan of onion masala; let it boil; after it started to boil, simmer and let it stay on low heat.


​Method to cook rice:



  1. Drain the rice from the water.


  2. Add 3 litres of water in a 5-6 litre pot, 25 ml of oil, cardamom and bay leaves to the saucepan and heat it on a high heat; Make sure that there is 3-4 times more water than the rice.


  3. Add the rice once the water starts boiling.


  4. Add salt and boil the rice for about 5-6 minutes or until it is 75% cooked.


  5. Drain all the water from the rice in a sieve/strainer.


Method to make Biryani:



  1. Add the nearly cooked rice to the pan of korma/sauce. Add lemon juice, ghee and salt if it is not enough. Stir slightly.


  2. Cover and seal tightly and let the rice cook on a low heat for about 20-25 minutes.


  3. Once the rice is fluffy and cooked, switch off the stove and add the fried fish to the top of the rice.


  4. Cover the rice and wait for about 5 minutes.


  5. Fish Biryani is ready to be eaten.


  6. Take care of not breaking the fish when serving the rice.


Note: If you have a large rice cooker, do the methods of Preparation, Method to fry fish pieces, Method to make korma and continue as follows:



  1. Drain the rice from the water.


  2. Add 25ml of oil, ghee, cardamom, bay leaves to the pan of rice cooker; stir fry for about 1/2 a minute.


  3. Measure the korma. Add water to the pan of korma so that combined korma and water measures about 1.5 litres totally.


  4. Add this to the pan of Rice cooker. When the water starts boiling, add the rice.


  5. Add lemon juice and salt if needed.


  6. Cover and cook.


  7. Place the fried fish on top of the rice once the rice is cooked; Cover and leave for about 5 minutes.


  8. Fish Biryani is ready to be eaten.


  9. Take care of not breaking the fish when serving the rice.
Notes:
Take an onion of 100g in weight. Peel,chop it into half and cut it diagonally to get long strips. Deep fry them in oil until they are crispy. Garnish the Biryani with this fried onion.