Description
This recipe captures the essence of this classic Indian dish, using aromatic spices, fluffy rice, and succulent fish. Perfect for a weeknight meal or a weekend feast, it’s a delicious adventure for your taste buds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 pieces king fish slices (about 1.5 kgs)
- 3 cups Basmati rice
Marinate for fish
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder (lessen if you don’t prefer it hot)
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice or lime juice (about 4 tbsps)
For prepping rice
- 6 pcs green cardamom (bruished)
- 2 pcs cinnamon bark
- ½ tsp cloves
- 3 pcs bay leaf
For cooking
- 3 medium-sized onions (sliced)
- 3–4 green chillies (remove if you don’t prefer it hot)
- 3–4 tbsps ginger and garlic paste*
- Fresh coriander and mint leaves (chopped – about 2 tbsps each)
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil for frying
For decoration (optional)
- Sliced tomatoes
- Fried onion
- Roasted and slightly fried cashew nuts
Instructions
- Mix fish marinade ingredients and rub on fish pieces. Cover with cling film and keep in fridge for at least half an hour.
- Wash and soak basmati rice for about half an hour.
- Fry fish over medium heat until light brown. Set aside.
- Boil rice with its spices until the rice is half done. Drain.
- Sautee onions in oil (the same oil from frying fish is fine) or ghee light brown.
- Add chilis (if using), ginger and garlic paste and stir for about a minute.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric, black pepper powder, salt, and chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves, then stir a few more times.
- Add yogurt, and continue to stir.
- Add rice and mix gently.
- In a pot, layer rice and fish making sure that you end up with rice being the top layer. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Decorate with sliced tomatoes, crispy onions (fried onions) and roasted then slightly fried cashew nuts (optional).
Notes
Ginger garlic paste are available in jars in your local grocery store, either separately or already mixed. The paste can also be done fresh by mincing garlic and grating ginger.
Fish masala is available in your local market and groceries. You can use this for the fish marinade (to replace the marinate ingredients above). Just add lemon or lime juice as required.
A pinch of salt on top of the pot lid helps in balancing the wetness/dryness of the rice. Use this if you feel that the mixture is watery.