Name: South Asian Fish Biryani Recipe | Desi~licious RD
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 9 people
Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice (washed thoroughly); 6 cups water (for boiling rice); 12 shishito peppers (you can also use bell peppers ); 1 tsp olive oil (extra virgin); 8 haddock fillets (908 g) (medium pieces, frozen, defrosted and dried with paper towels. ); ½ cup gluten free flour; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp salt (sea salt); 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp sunflower oil (frying all the fillets - divide into two batches if needed); 1 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 10 green cardamom (seeds removed and crushed); 2 black cardamom (seeds removed and crushed); 1 cinnamon (3-inch stick); 2 bay leaves (large); 4 onions (medium, finely chopped); 5 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped); 8 prunes (dried. You can use plums as well); 12 tomatoes (medium, chopped into small cubes); 2 tsp salt (sea salt); 1 tsp turmeric; ½ tsp chilli powder (red); ⅛ tsp saffron; 2 tbsp milk (any type)

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Desi-liciously spiced with layers of fragrant basmati rice, grilled peppers and flaky masala haddock fillets, cooked in a tomatoey sauce infused with cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and saffron to create a biryani recipe that’ll knock your socks off!

Indeed, it’s royal-looking yet easy to pull off. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super excited to share my desi-licious South Asian fish biryani.

Isn’t it perfect to start holiday celebrations?

This biryani recipe is such an elegant (and tasty!) creation – perfect for a large party or special, cozy family dinner. It also doesn’t require overnight soaking of any kind and is exquisitely seasoned! Just over an hour, and your sumptuous fish biryani is set to make its debut.

What Does Biryani Taste Like?

In short, it tastes heavenly. Biryani is a vibrant and flavourful Indian recipe. Typically Basmati rice is flavoured with exotic spices and then layered with either meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables – cooked in and a thick masala sauce. The dish is covered, and the biryani is either cooked over a low flame on in the oven.

There are many variations of the recipe, from ingredients used to the style of preparation. For instance, depending on the South Asian region, a biryani recipe may call for the lid to be secured with dough to help seal in the flavours.

How To Make Fish Biryani Recipe – Step By Step

Start by thoroughly rinsing the rice and sending it to parboil for 7 minutes (Image 1).
You want to drizzle a dash of olive oil on your peppers and grill them for a few minutes until charred (Image 2).
Pat dry the defrosted haddock fillets and coat them in a spicy, gluten-free flour mix (Image 3).
Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry four fillets at a time for a couple of minutes (Image 4). The intention is not to cook these through. Remove and place on a plate with kitchen towels.
Now on to preparing the spicy biryani sauce. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry all the whole spices (Image 5).
Add the onions and plums and cook until the onions turn lightly brown (Image 6).
Add in the cubes of fresh tomatoes and remaining spices and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes (Image 7).
Place the fish fillets in the sauce and gently coat the pieces with sauce (Image 8).
Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until the sauce thickens. It should not be watery.

Now you’re going to layer the fish biryani

Once the rice is cooked, drain and splash with cold water and set aside (Image 9). In a small ramekin, warm the milk and saffron in the microwave for 20 seconds (Image 10).
Transfer your fish curry into a large dish. To create the first layer, add four fillets and enough sauce to cover the pot. Don’t forget to add a handful of grilled peppers. Follow with half of the rice (Image 11).
Repeat this step and end with any leftover sauce and peppers. Make sure you add most of the sauce to the bottom layers – with a bit saved for the top (Image 12).
Pour the saffron milk on top.
Then send in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit.

This Fish Biryani Recipe has:

Less oil – no fried onions used for garnish and less oil used in cooking
An aromatic blend of spices to reduce the amount of salt used. Typically, it’s even higher than what’s in this recipe!
Lots of fresh tomatoes and peppers to give it an added nutrition boost
Vegetable sources of fat. It uses sunflower and olive oil instead of butter or ghee
Haddock fillets that are certified sustainable – so you’re taking care of our oceans!

Top Tips For Making The Best Fish Biryani Recipe

Opt for Basmati rice; the grains are nice and long and become fluffy once cooked
Don’t forget to dry the fish before coating with the flour-spice mix
Make sure your oil is well heated before adding the fillets to the pan – otherwise they will stick
Be mindful not to undercook/overcook the fish or rice. This will make or break your biryani recipe
If you don’t have access to Piments Shishito peppers, opt for your favourite bell peppers (2 should do the trick)
Once cooked, refrigerate and store for up to 3 days

Here’s More Desi-licious South Asian Recipes You May Like:

What’s your favourite holiday recipe? Have you tried my Fish Biryani Recipe before?

If you do try this recipe, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Can’t wait to see your photos.

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Desi~liciously Yours,

Shahzadi