Unlike the traditional lamb and chicken biryani’s this fish biryani is cooked using a slightly different method.
This specific recipe has been passed on through the generations in our family, my grandmother taught it to my mother who has now passed the baton on to me. This version requires a little extra TLC during the cooking process but it sure is worth every bit of effort.
Let’s get cooking…
Start by marinating and frying your fish for 3-5 minutes per side depending on how thick it is. You want the fish to be slightly undercooked because it will continue cooking in the rice. You can also bake the fish if you prefer.
Use the oil from the fried fish (if you are frying) to cook the biryani, this add a lot of flavour. Spoon 4 tablespoons of oil into a large, oven safe pot. Add in the onions and whole spices and braise until the onions begin to turn translucent.
Add in the chilli powder and curry powder, stir for 10 seconds then add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes, add enough salt for the curry base and rice, about 1 ½ tsp of course salt, stir and allow to simmer on a medium heat.
After 10 minutes add in the rice along with the coriander, mint and 1 cup of water and give it all a good stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook slowly, stir every 5 minutes adding in water as necessary so that the rice cooks and does not stick to the pot. It should not be watery though.
Once the rice is tender but still has a bite, after about 20 minutes, nestle the fish into the rice and scatter over ½ cup of water, top with the roasted potatoes, and pop into a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 180C.
After 30 minutes, the rice should be tender and all the water should have evaporated. Allow the biryani to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
1kg ripe tomatoes, about 6-8, pureed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
4 sprigs of coriander, finely chopped
2 sprigs of mint, leaves picked
2 potatoes, quartered and roasted/fried
¾ cup of basmati rice, rinsed
- Fish
500g firm white fish fillets, I used cod
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ tsp salt
Shallow oil for frying or bake until cooked
Directions
- Start by marinating and frying your fish for 3-5 minutes per side depending on how thick it is. You want the fish to be slightly undercooked because it will continue cooking in the rice. You can also bake the fish if you prefer
- Use the oil from the fried fish (if you are frying) to cook the biryani, this add a lot of flavour. Spoon 4 tablespoons of oil into a large, oven safe pot. Add in the onions and whole spices and braise until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add in the chilli powder and curry powder, stir for 10 seconds then add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes, add enough salt for the curry base and rice, about 1 ½ tsp of course salt, stir and allow to simmer on a medium heat.
- After 10 minutes add in the rice along with the coriander, mint and 1 cup of water and give it all a good stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook slowly, stir every 5 minutes adding in water as necessary so that the rice cooks and does not stick to the pot. It should not be watery though.
- Once the rice is tender but still has a bite, after about 20 minutes, nestle the fish into the rice and scatter over ½ cup of water, top with the roasted potatoes, and pop into a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 180C.
- After 30 minutes, the rice should be tender and all the water should have evaporated. Allow the biryani to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Published by