Fish Breyani

Breyani, or Biryani, comes from the Persian word, ‘birian’, which means ‘fried before cooking’. Legend has it that Mumtaz Mahal, the beauty who sleeps in India’s Taj Mahal, created this dish as a ‘complete meal’ to feed India’s armies. Here in South Africa, breyani is a cherished, family meal.

Serves 6+

Fish Breyani

Serves 6+

Breyani, or Biryani, comes from the Persian word, 'birian', which means 'fried before cooking'. Legend has it that Mumtaz Mahal, the beauty who sleeps in India's Taj Mahal, created this dish as a 'complete meal' to feed India's armies. Here in South Africa, breyani is a cherished, family meal.

Ingredients

1 kg firm white fish
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 – 3 cups (500 – 750 ml) rice, cooked
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) crushed garlic & ginger
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin
2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander
Pinch crushed chillies
¼ tsp (1.25 ml) turmeric
2 tsp (10 ml) fish breyani spice
4 cardamom pods
2 tomatoes finely chopped
6 medium sized potatoes, cut into quarters and lightly fried until par-cooked
3 hardboiled eggs, peeled & halved (optional)

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Method

Heat 15 ml olive oil in a frying pan. Lightly season fish with salt and black pepper and fry until the flesh is white, then remove from frying pan.
Heat the remaining 15 ml oil in the same pan and add onions, sauté until golden brown in colour.
Add garlic, ginger and spices and sauté a further 5 to 10 minutes, adding a little water if too dry. Add tomatoes and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the fish.
Add a tablespoon of oil in the base of a saucepan. Add in half of the cooked rice then alternate with half of the fish and masala sauce.
Continue with another layer of rice, fish and masala sauce and then a thin layer of rice just enough to cover the fish.
Lastly end with the potatoes and allow to steam on a low to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, adding 45 ml water, a bit at a time, during the steaming process to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan.

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Shallow Pan Fry Fish

Use hot oil for best results. This will ensure a crispy outside with a moist inside. Do not fry too slowly, as the fish will be limp and pale and might fall apart. Cover base of pan with oil. Butter adds flavour, but because it can burn, add a little oil. The frying time can vary from 6 – 8 minutes depending on thickness of the portion. To establish when the oil is ready for frying, dip a cube of bread in the oil. It should turn light brown in 90 seconds.