Fish Biryani Recipe
Fish biryani is made with long grain basmati rice, spices, Basa fish and herbs. Served alongside Raita.
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Ingredients
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For the fish marinade
For the rice
For the biryani base
For layering & finishing
For the raita (served alongside)
Method
For the fish marinade
Prepare and marinate fish
Pat fish fillets dry and cut into large chunks (about 4-6 cm). In a bowl combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, lemon juice and 1 tsp oil. Add fish pieces, toss gently to coat, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
For the rice
Rinse and soak rice
Rinse basmati rice under cold water until water runs clear. Soak rice in cold water for 20–30 minutes, then drain.
Par-cook the rice
Bring 900 ml water to a boil in a large pot. Add cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, 1.5 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil/ghee. Add drained rice and cook uncovered over a rolling boil until the rice is about 70–75% cooked (grains still have a slight core) — about 6–7 minutes depending on rice. Drain rice in a colander and set aside.
For the biryani base
Cook onions and spices
Heat 3 tbsp oil/ghee in a heavy wide pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and softened (10–12 minutes). Remove about half of the onions and reserve for layering/final garnish (these become the fried onions).
Build the masala
To the remaining onions in the pot add slit green chilies and 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste. Sauté 1–2 minutes until raw aroma fades. Add chopped tomato, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and 1 tsp salt. Cook until tomatoes soften and oil begins to separate from masala, about 5–7 minutes.
Add herbs and marinated fish
Stir in chopped coriander and mint, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Gently add the marinated fish pieces into the masala, spooning some masala over the fish. Cook gently on medium-low for 4–6 minutes — just enough to firm the fish slightly but not fully cook through. Spoon the base into an even layer across the pot.
For layering & final dum (steaming)
Prepare saffron
Crush saffron strands and steep in 3 tbsp warm milk for 5 minutes.
Layer rice and fish
Evenly spread half of the par-cooked rice over the fish layer. Sprinkle half of the reserved fried onions, half of the chopped coriander and mint, and drizzle half of the saffron milk and 1 tbsp ghee. Add the remaining rice as a final layer. Top with remaining fried onions, herbs, saffron milk and remaining 1 tbsp ghee.
Seal and cook on dum
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Seal edges with dough or place a heavy lid to trap steam. Cook on very low heat (use a heat diffuser if available) for 20–25 minutes to allow flavors to marry and rice to finish cooking (dum). Alternatively, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the sealed pot for 20 minutes.
Rest and finish
Turn off heat and let the biryani rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. Gently fluff rice from the edges to the center with a fork, taking care not to break fish pieces. Garnish with remaining fresh coriander and mint before serving.
For the raita
Mix raita
Whisk yogurt until smooth. Fold in grated cucumber, roasted cumin powder, salt, chopped coriander and mint. Chill until serving.