Ingredients
Ingredients
750 gms Fish fillets
2 ½ cups Basmati rice
Marinade:
1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
¾ tsp Black pepper powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
Salt, as required
2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste, equal measure
2 tsp Lime juice
1 tsp Cooking oil
1 tbsp water
To boil the rice:
1 Bay leaf
4 Cloves
1 large Black cardamom
3 Cardamom
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
2 tsp Lime juice
2 tsp cooking oil
1 tbsp Salt
To fry cashews and onions:
2 tbsp Cooking oil
1 tbsp Ghee
10 Cashew nuts
1 Onion (sliced)
To grind:
10 Cashews
Biryani masala:
1 Bay leaf
2 Cardamoms
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Onions (sliced)
2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste, equal measure
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
3 to 4 Green chillies, pounded
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Garam masala powder (can be store bought)
1 tsp Black pepper powder
½ cup Coriander leaves
¼ cup Mint leaves
1 tsp Lime juice
¼ cup Warm milk
1 pinch of Saffron
Method
In a bowl, mix the ingredients listed under ‘Marinade’ to make a paste. Coat the fish pieces with it. Set aside for 30 minutes
Take ¼ cup of warm milk and soak a few saffron strands, set aside to infuse.
In a cooking bowl, add water, then add the ingredients listed under ‘to boil the rice’, over a medium flame. Stir it all together, then add the rice and let it cook until al dente, which should take about 7 to 8 minutes. Once cooked, strain the rice and remove the cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon if desired. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Fry 10 cashews. In the same pan over a medium flame, deep-fry one chopped onion until golden. Remove and keep it aside.
In the same pan, fry the marinated fish pieces in one or two batches. Fry the fish pieces for three minutes on each side. Remove and keep aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of refined oil and two teaspoons of ghee in a pan. Add one bay leaf, two cardamoms, and one-inch long cinnamon stick. Sauté for a few seconds. Add two sliced onions and sauté well for a few minutes. Add a bit of salt to make the sautéing faster. (In the meantime, grind ten cashews in a blender along with a little water into a smooth paste.)
Add one tablespoon of ginger- garlic paste. Sauté until the raw smell dissipates.
Add one teaspoon of chilli powder, 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and pounded green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds over a medium flame.
Add chopped tomatoes, one teaspoon of garam masala, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder. Sauté those until tomatoes turn soft.
Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Combine well. Cover and cook over a low flame until the oil starts to separate from the masala or sauce.
Add one teaspoon of lime juice, and mix well. Cover and cook for two minutes. Check salt and add as required.
Add the ground cashew paste. Sauté for a few minutes over a medium flame.
Spread the fried fish pieces over the masala. Cover and cook for a minute over a low flame.
Take half the portion of fish and sauce, and spread in a deep non-stick pan as the bottom layer. Then add a layer of cooked rice. On top of this, spread some salt, one teaspoon of ghee, fried onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves and sprinkle saffron mixed milk. Repeat the same after adding the second layer of masala. Garnish with fried cashews.
Finally, cover and heat the pan over a low flame for about 4 to 5 minutes. Super tasty fish biriyani is ready to be served!
