Fish Biriyani

Fish Biriyani

This Biriyani has a distinct flavor of whole spices which is not only added to it but also sprinkled on the top.  It is a one pot meal which doesn't need much accompaniments.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice -500g

• Carrot (grated) - 1 (Medium size)

• Ghee - 2 tsp.

• King fish (fillet, cut into cubes) - 500g

• Ghee-  3tbsp

• Oil - 2 tbsp. (plus extra for shallow frying the fish)

• Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp.

• turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp.

• Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace(powdered)- 1/4 tsp each

• Onion (thinly sliced)- 3 (medium size)

• Green chilies (slit)-6

• Ginger Julianne- 2tbsp

• Tomatoes (chopped)- 1/2 cup

• Mint leaves and coriander leaves(chopped) - 1tbsp each

• Curry leaves 1 or 2 sprigs

• Salt to taste

• Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp.

• Fried raisins and cashews for garnishing

Method

• Wash and soak  basmati rice for half an hour.
• Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric powder and enough salt for half an hour.
• Shallow fry the fish with little oil till it is  just cooked. (Do not brown it, as the masalas won’t get into it).
• Fry the sliced onions in 3 tbsp. ghee in a thick bottom pan to golden brown and keep half of it with the fried cashews and raisins for garnishing.
• Mix the powdered fennel seeds along with the powdered cardamom, cinnamon, cloves. nutmeg and mace. Add half of it to the onions which is kept aside for garnishing.
• Add oil to the pan, along with the ghee and half of the fried onions, add ginger and green chilies sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Now add coriander powder sauté till the raw smell is gone and add chopped tomatoes and stir well.
• Sauté till the oil turns up and add coriander leaves and mint leaves. Add the kept aside powdered whole spices. 
• Mix in the fried fish pieces gently and switch off the stove
•  Boil 2 liters of water in a big vessel, add the washed and soaked basmati rice and cook till it is 3/4 the done. (Do not overcook the rice.)  Strain the rice.
• Heat 2 teaspoon of ghee and stir in the grated carrots and enough salt.
• Stir the carrots for 2minutes and gently mix the cooked rice. (Care should be taken not to break the rice).
• In an oven proof vessel layer 1/3rd of the rice and then half of the fish masala and then again 1/3rd rice and the remaining fish masala. Finally layer it with the  remaining rice.
• Bake it for 20 minutes at 180degree Celsius. Garnish with fried onions sprinkled with masala and with fried raisins and cashews.
• Serve it with raita, pickle and papad.