King Fish Dum Biryani

Instructions

1. 1

   Fish Marination

2. 2

   Firstly let us prepare a marinade for the fish.

3. 3

   Mix 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp lemon juice & Salt as required in the form of a paste.

   
5. 4

   Apply this marinade on both sides of fish & allow it to rest for 10minutes.

   
6. 5

   Ginger-Garlic-Chili paste for fish masala

7. 6

   Add 5 to 6 garlic pods, 2 to 3 green chilies & 1.5″ inch ginger in a blender. Crush the ingredients & do not grind it. Keep it aside.

   
8. 7

   Preparations for Layering

9. 8

   Heat 1 tbsp ghee & 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan.

10. 9

    Fry some cashews, raisins & 1 cup thinly sliced onion until it turns crispy. Keep it aside.

    
11. 10

    Shallow Fry the Marinated Fish

12. 11

    In the same pan, let us shallow fry the fish on both sides & keep it aside. By frying, it gains firmness and easy to handle. While frying I sprinkle some coriander leaves always.

    
13. 12

    Cooking Rice

14. 13

    Wash & soak 1 1/4 cup of basmati rice for 15 minutes.

    
15. 14

    Heat 2L of water in a heavy-bottomed pan.

16. 15

    Add in 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 3 cardamon pods, 2 cloves, 1 star Annise, 1″ cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp lemon juice & salt required for the rice.

    
17. 16

    Once the water starts to boil add the strained rice.

    
18. 17

    Cover & cook until the rice. Cook the rice up to 80 to 90%.

    
19. 18

    Strain the rice & keep it aside.

    
20. 19

    Fish Masala

21. 20

    I am using the same pan for making masala, if you need some extra ghee/oil, you can add 1 to 2tbsp oil/ghee.

22. 21

    Add in 2 onions thinly sliced & saute until it turns golden brown.

    
23. 22

    Add the crushed ginger-garlic-chili paste & fry until the raw smell goes.

    
24. 23

    Let us add in the masalas one by one: 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp chili paste/chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala & 1/4 tsp pepper powder. Fry them for 30 seconds.

    
25. 24

    Add 1 large-sized tomato finely chopped. Cover & cook until it turns mushy.

    
26. 25

    Followed by 3 tbsp coconut paste (grated coconut+water). mix well.

    
27. 26

    Adjust the consistency of the masala gravy by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of water & add the salt required.

    
28. 27

    Cover & cook until oil separates.

    
29. 28

    Then add in the fried fish one by one. Carefully, cover the fish with the masala.

    
30. 29

    Cover & cook for 3 to 5 minutes in low flame & switch off the flame.

    
31. 30

    Layering

32. 31

    Layer 1/2 of the cooked rice in a heavy-bottomed pot. I used the same pot which I used to cook the rice. Grease some ghee on the sides of the pot.

    
33. 32

    Now layer half of the fish masala. Then sprinkle some fried cashews, raisins, onions, Finely chopped coriander leaves & mint leaves.

    
34. 33

    Lastly, layer the leftover rice again. Layer the remaining fish masala, fried onions, cashews, raisins, coriander leaves & mint leaves.

    
35. 34

    Sprinkle some ghee all over the rice.

36. 35

    For Dum

37. 36

    Cover the top of the pot with an aluminum foil paper & close the pot with a heavy lid.

    
38. 37

    Heat a tawa in low-medium flame for 5 minutes & place this pot on the tawa.

39. 38

    Dum for 15 to 20 minutes in low flame.

40. 39

    Our fish dum biryani is ready. You can serve it with raita or any salads.