Fish Biryani

Ingredients :

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Fish fillets - 4 

Onion - 1

Green Chillies - 2 (minced)

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tblsp

Tomato - 2 ( crushed)

Coriander leaves(Cilantro) - handful

Mint leaves - handful 

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Ghee - 2 tblsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves - 5 

Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces 

Cardamom - 2 pods

Bay leaf - 1

Star anise - 1

Cashew nuts/ Almonds - 10

For fish :

Oil - 3-4 tblsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

Egg - 1

Preparation Method :

1. Wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Fry the rice in 1 tblsp of ghee and keep aside.(optional)

2. Cut the fish fillets into small pieces.

3. Take a small bowl, beat the egg in it and mix the spices under 'For fish' with it (chilly powder, pepper powder, salt and turmeric powder).

4. Coat the fish pieces with the above mixture and shallow fry it. Keep it aside.

5. Heat ghee in a deep pan and add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and cloves.

6. Add onions and fry till it becomes golden brown. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for 2-3 mins, until the raw smell disappears. 

7. Add the tomato puree along with the chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and curd and fry till a nice spicy paste is formed.

8. Add part of the chopped coriander leaves saving a part for garnishing. Add chopped mint leaves and fry for another minute. 

9. Add the nuts to this mixture.

10. Put the above mixture with the rice into a rice cooker with 3 cups water and let it cook.

11. Once the biriyani is done add the fried fish pieces to it. Gently toss everything without breaking the rice and keep covered for 10 minutes. Do this when the biriyani is still very very hot so that the flavour of the fish will get blended with the rice.

 * Garnish with cilantro and few fried fish pieces on top and serve with raita.