Nadu yera/ meen -prawn/ fish BIRYANI

It is cooked by most muslim and christiaan festivals, offerings and at  some  hindu weddings too .Seer fish  or Prawns cooked with plain long grain rice in a big pot over wood fire, sealed and cooked on  less heat for a longer time. Spices, masalas and herbs used are all hand ground[pounded in the olden days ] so the aroma fills the air all round. Using ready masalas is considered a sacrilege. Served with a their pachidi or onion/ yogurt raita.

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

For fish/prawn  masala

King fish - ½ kg

Prawns deveined ½ kg.

Onion - 2 big

Crushed Ginger & garlic - 1 tablespoon each

Crushed green chilli - 1 tablespoon

Tomato - 3 medium

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Curd - ¼ cup

Ghee/dalda - 1 tbsp

Oil

For marination

Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon

Pepper powder - ½ teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Ginger & garlic - 1 table spoon each

Small onion - 3,4

Fenugreek - a pinch

Mustard - a pinch

Salt

For white paste

Coconut - 2 tablespoon

Poppy seeds - ½ tablespoon

Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon (soaked in water)

For rice

Basmati rice - 2 cups

water - 4 cups

Cardamom - 6

Cinnamon - 2 medium size stick

Clove - 6

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Lemon Juice - 1-2 tablespoon

Chopped Mint leaves - 1-2 tbsp

Chopped Coriander leaves - 2-3 tbsp

Salt

Method

1)  Grind together all the ingredients for marination into a fine paste. Marinate the cleaned fish and prawns  pieces with this paste for ½ an hour.

2)  Grind together the ingredients for white paste & keep aside.

3)  Shallow fry the marinated fish/prawn till it is half cooked. Add 1 tablespoon ghee to this oil & sauté the onion till it becomes soft. Add the crushed ginger, garlic & green chilli & saute for 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon coriander powder. When the oil starts appearing add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes are cooked well add ¼ cup curd. Mix well. Add the shallow fried fish /prawn pieces. Make sure that the fish/prawn pieces are covered with gravy. After 5 minutes add the white paste. When the gravy becomes thick & fish/prawn  is cooked remove from fire.

4)  Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan and add the whole masala (cardamom, cloves & cinnamon). Add the washed rice. When the rice starts cracking add 4 cups of boiling water, salt, coriander & mint leaves & lemon juice. Cook the rice 3/4th till the water is completely dried.

5)  Oil a thick bottom bronze/copper vessel, and add the rice and fish/prawn masaalas in layers.

6)  Pour  2 spoons coconut milk on it , to which saffron is added. Garnish with fried onions, nuts, raisin

7)  Place a wet cloth over the vessel and cover it air tight. Seal the lid with atta[wheat flour mixed with water]

8)  Place it on a iron tava, over a medium fire, firewood would be ideal, gas would be the next choice.

9)  Cook for 15 minutes only.

10)     Wait for ten minutes before opening the biryani.

11)     Serve the biriyani with raitha,  kadabam raita  & pappad.

Notes:

1)  Stove Top Method:
Layer the rice and masala in a greased heavy bottomed vessel/non stick pan& cover it with a tight lid.

2)  Heat a thava/dosa kallu, when it is really hot, place the biriyani vessel on top of that. Reduce the heat to the lowest flame & cook for 15-20s mins. Keep the heat at the lowest flame throughout, otherwise it might get burnt.

3)  Also place a pan of boiling water on top of the biriyani vessel at the same time.

4)  Make sure you stir the fish/prawn  masala gently, otherwise the  pieces may break. There are chances of fish pieces breaking and the bones get mixed up in the gravy, even if you stir gently. So be careful about the separated bones, while serving children.

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About Chef Ramaa shanker

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