King fish Biryani|Christmas Meal Recipes

King fish or vanjiram or seela meen is a delicacy in any cuisine.My earliest memories of fish biryani was when my dad used to make them a couple of years ago i really miss it.This year my mom was around and this with her signature moong dal/parupu payasam is what i wanted her to make for me.There's nothing better than getting fed by our mums!They are the bestest ever!

I had a bad aversion to fish until I got back from London when i had enough and morr of only chicken.Before getting on the flight to meet my parents with my LM inside i told my mom i want fish curry when i land there. Since then i have renewed respect for this healthy white meat.

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Preparation time .1 hour 

You need

King fish 6 slices about 400 gms depending on the size of your fish

Basmati rice 2 cups 

Marinade for fish

dhaniya powder or coriander seed powder 2 tsp

turmeric powder or haldi 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Pepper powder 1/2 tsp 

ginger garlic paste 2 tsp

salt to taste 

- mix the above using a little water and 1 tsp oil into a paste and rub it in on the fish.Allow to sit for sometime.

Heat water in a wide vessel and cook the rice until almost done.Add salt to the water just enough for the rice.

To make the masala.

oil or butter 3 tablespoons

cashews and raisins as needed optional

whole spices cardamom 4 cloves 3 cinnamon 2 1 inch pieces 

Onions 2 finely sliced

Ripe large tomatoes 3 diced 

ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

mint leaves cleaned 1 cup

green chillies 2 slit at the top

Lime juice of 1 lime 

Garam masala 1 tsp 

Dhaniya or corisnder powder

• on a frying pan, before starting the masala start frying the fish.if you do it first then you may prepare the masalamix in this oil.

• heat oil or butter or a mix of both as you like, add the whole spices followed by nuts and then onions, allow to fry well until brown almost.
• add the ginger garlic paste and some mint leaves followed by chopped tomatoes.Add a generous pinch of salt to this cover and allow tomatoes to completely break down.
• Mash this mix well and then add the garam masala and a spoon of dhaniya powder.
• check for salt we have added salt to rice and earlier to the masala too.
• add the fried fish and cover the pieces withe the mix.

To assemble the biryani

• Place a layer of the cooked rice topped with a little of the masala plus fish mixture sprinkle mint leaves and lime juice followed by rice then masala fish layer.The top layer has to be rice with lime juice and mint leaves.
• cover it and pop it in a preheated oven at 180c for 20 minutes.

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/Serve hot by cutting vertically into the layers so you get a share of fish masala and rice.My dsd serves it with mint chilli raitha.