Tuna Biryani

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

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.

 Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder  over the 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.