A fragrant Bangladeshi biryani layering spiced fish in a yoghurt-based gravy with mint and coriander, cooked together with pulao rice and finished with a smoky “dum” infusion.
Fish Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 kg firm white fish cut into 2″ slices
- ½ kg pulao rice rinsed
- 4 onions thinly sliced
- 6 green chillies halved lengthwise
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tsp garam masala powder divided
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1 bunch coriander leaves chopped
- ½ bunch mint leaves chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp ghee for frying rice
- 4 tbsp oil for frying fish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Coat the fish slices with salt, ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp chilli powder. Marinate in the yoghurt, garlic, and ginger pastes for 2–3 hours.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat and shallow-fry the fish until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same oil, fry half the sliced onions until deep golden and crisp; reserve for layering.
- Sauté the remaining onions. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, coriander powder, chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, and salt. Cook briefly, then stir in a little water and simmer.
- Place the fried fish in the gravy formed. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves, lime juice and half of the garam masala. chopped coriander and mint, lemon juice and 1 tbsp garam masala. Simmer on low until the gravy thickens; set aside.
- In a heavy pan, melt the ghee and fry the rice for 5 minutes. Add enough water to cook the rice through, season with salt, and bring to a boil.
- Drain any excess water, then spread half the rice in a large pot. Sprinkle 1tsp garam masala and half the reserved fried onions. Spoon the fish gravy over the rice, then top with the remaining rice, garam masala and onions.
- The pot with a tight-fitting lid, Place live coals on top of the lid for 15 mins.
- Remove the lid, gently fluff the layers, garnish with extra coriander and serve hot.
Notes
Marinating the fish in yoghurt and spices for several hours ensures a deeply infused flavour and keeps the fillets tender during the dum process. Frying the rice briefly in ghee before adding water gives each grain a glossy, separate texture. The key to a perfect dum is maintaining the lowest possible heat and using a tight seal so the aromas circulate. Fish Biryani developed in the coastal regions of South Asia where both rice and seafood are staples.