What I love
to do on a Sunday morning is to go the fish market. There is wholesale market
for fish near our locality. Everyone must visit that place once to know how
many different kinds of fish you can get especially to eat. I have even taken
my 5 year old son once to get the feel of the market. And must say he was zapped
with the sight and the rush but at the same time cranky due to the smell. But
the bargains what you get with every deal would definitely wipe your pains..... Really you can
buy a month stock without draining your pocket..
My favorites
are Prawn, Seer Fish( Surmai), Black Pomfret( Halva) and Bombil(Bombay Duck).
But this time I tried experimenting with TUNA fish…… I actually got one fresh
from the market. I am making Biryani out
of it. Tuna fish is a very healthy fish with lots of Omega 3 which
has been shown to be a stress reliever.
Omega 3 keep stress hormones under control while also regulating adrenaline and
tuna fishes are loaded with them. It is also a great source of protein too. Nevertheless
it’s time to cook……
Ingredients – Rice:
Basmati Rice - 2 ¼ cup
Water -- 1 ½ measure of rice.
Lemon -- 1 medium
Cloves -- 3 - 4
Cardamom -- 1 - 2
Cinnamon -- 1 medium piece
Bay leaves -- 2 leaves
Star Anise- 3-4
Ghee -- 3 tbsp
Salt -- 1 tbsp (Check the taste though)
Milk- 2 tsp
Saffron – 1 pinch
Ingredients – For garnishing &
layering:
Onions -- 1
Garam Masala -- 1 tsp
Coriander leaves -- A bunch
Ingredients – Marinade
Fish -- ½ kg (4 -5 pieces of Tuna Fish )
Turmeric powder -- ½ tsp
Red Chilly powder -- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Lime Juice -- ½ of a lemon
Salt -- to taste
Oil -- To fry
Ingredients – Gravy:
Finely Chopped Onions -- 2 – 3 medium sized
Green chillies -- 3 – 4
Garlic -- 8-10 cloves – medium sized
Ginger -- 1 inch piece
Tomato -- 1 – 2 medium sized
Chili powder—1tsp
Turmeric powder -- ½ tsp
Coriander
powder -- 1½ tsp
Garam Masala -- 1 tsp
Garam Masala -- 1 tsp
Pepper -- 1 tsp
Yogrut – 1 cup
Coriander leaves -- A bunch (around 10 – 12 stem)
Oil -- 2 tbsp
Salt -- to taste
Preparation of Gravy:
Wash
and clean the fish pieces and marinate with the marinade mentioned above. Keep
it aside for half an hour. Shallow fry the fish in a pan ,
Grind green chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Keep
them aside.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the sliced onions in oil
until they become translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilly paste.
Add chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and fry
for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let it cook until it the masala leaves
leaves the oil in the pan. Add yogurt to the it and mix well. Let it boil.
Add the fried fish once the gravy starts boiling. Let it boil
for few minutes. Make sure you have just enough gravy for the biriyani. Lastely
season the gravy with salt and add the
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Keep the gravy aside till we prepare the rice
Preparation of Rice:
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in. Drain and keep aside.
Add 2 tbsp of ghee to a large vessel. Add cinnamon, cloves, bay
leaves cardamom and star anise and fry for a minute. Add the
drained rice and fry for 5 - 10 minutes. Meanwhile, keep the water on another
stove and let it boil. Add rice along with the spices to the boiling water and add
salt to season it .
Once the rice starts boiling, add the lemon juice. Cook the rice
till it is done .
Empty the rice into another vessel, preferably other flat vessel
and let it cool.
Mix the biriyani:
Spread 1 tbsp of ghee in a big vessel . Layer the first part
with some rice.
Then
add a layer of fish and gravy. Repeat the layering till you are done with the
gravy and the rice. There should be alternate layer of rice and gravy and
finish the layers by garnishing on the top with coriander leaves
Mix 2
tsp of milk and a pinch of saffron and add to the rice and gravy layered.
Cover this tightly and keep on low flame for 25 minutes.
Serve hot
with crispy pappad and achar.
