NAJMA AUNTIE'S FISH BIRYANI

A Friday treat is what comes to my mind about this biryani. Brings back so many memories of the Najma auntie's family. A simple person and the sweetest person I have come across in my life. It shows in this recipe it may sound strange to you but like other things we do put our personalities in our food food too. The more complexed the recipe the more complexed a personality, the simpler the recipe the simpler the person.You'll experience this that sometimes lots of spices complicate the recipe hence making us confused and mixed up in making decisions and the less the ingredients the the less complicated our recipe the easier to make it and we lots of confidence because we know what we want and what happens in its reactions.

Najma auntie on one Friday Afternoon sent us this biryani for lunch and we loved it after that Mumma just mentioned the kids loved it and there we go she sent it every Friday and it was like a treat because we had never had anything like this before. This biryani's best thing is that if you are put off by the thought of fish smelling utensils and hands or when having biryani the smell of fish is just not what you like than things are just about to change because this biryani has no fish smell just fish taste. Najma auntie made this biryani with freshly caught fish by uncle or freshly bought hamour. I've used all kinds of fishes to make this biryani and each time it comes out the same. Simply delicious is what I can say. Just make sure that the fish you use has only one bone or minimal bones or else you'll be busy looking for the fish bones rather eating anything at all. That's the thing with fish the less the bones the better for biryani's and the more the bones the better for curries. Curries are more enhanced in flavours if the fish used in it has more fine fish bones. I miss Najma auntie every time I eat this fish biryani,I guess shes having hiccups now. A big thank you to Najma auntie for sharing her recipe with mumma and us. I hope this recipe becomes a treat for you as it has been for me and my family for years now...enjoy.(:~)

INGREDIENTS:-

• 3 1/2 Cups Basmati rice (Always for biryanis)
• 540 g Pollock or any white fish with one middle Bone.
• 700g Chopped tomatoes can or medium 7-8 chopped tomatoes.
• 2 Tbsp Roasted,ground zeera (cumin)
• 5-6 Green chillies more if you like more
• 2 Medium sized onions sliced
• 1 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1/4 Bunch coriander leaves
• 1/4 Bunch mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp Salt
• 1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1 Cups oil

METHOD:-

1. In 1/2 cup oil fry onions.
2. Add 1 Tbsp salt and ginger garlic paste.
3. When Golden brown break onions into small pieces with the help of the wooden spoon.
4. Add little water if need, not otherwise.
5. Now add red chilli powder,turmeric , and zeera stir fry for 2 Min's browning the onions further.
6. Put chopped tomatoes in now stirring vigorously for 1/2 a min now cover and cook for further 3-4 Min's till you hear bubbling sounds.


7. While this is cooking cut and clean your fish under cold water if fresh if frozen and already in fillet form cut to a convenient size.


8. Now Check your tomatoes and let it cook on high heat till oil can be seen bubbling and separating from the pan and the masala.
   
9. Add your Already cut fish in, if frozen add only 1/4 cups water no more or your fish will break. but if adding fresh fish add about 1/2 cups water or little more till the fish is covered in the curry.
10. Cover and cook for 8-10 Min's or till you see you fish is half done.

11. Remove from heat and leave it aside.
12. For boiling rice add to water 2 Tbsp salt,sabet (whole)garam masala,some mint leaves.





13. While the Water is boiling cut the green chillies in half,clean ,wash and cut the mint and coriander leaves.
14. Add rice when the water starts to boil.
15. Boil rice till they start to break into three pieces when pressed in between first finger and thumb.
16. Strain the rice in a colander.








17. Now in the same pan you boiled the rice add oil 1/4 cup oil in it and roll the pan so as to cover the bottom of the pan in oil.
18. Add the All rice back to the pan placing the pan on the mat not on heat yet.



19. Now spread the fish curry you have set aside on the rice. For doing so first remove the fish from the curry and place it in the plate to prevent it from breaking.
20. After pouring the curry into the rice covering it well place the fish on top of it and spread green chillies,mint and coriander leaves, squeeze lemon juice on top and spread 1/4 cup oil on top of it. Cut the lemon half in 4 peices and place that on top of it too.
21. Now cover and cook on high heat for 5 Min's and then 20 Min's on very low heat.


22. Serve with fresh salad or some achar or chutney.

I have had this biryani for a long long time can't even remember how long. and every time I've made it people have loved having it including myself. Its easy and satisfying kind of dish. If you like fish you'll love it but even if you're not such a fan of fish you'll still like it. give it a try and see....As i always hope and wish i will this time too That you enjoy this biryani as much as i have done for so many years...enjoy...:)

MUMMA'S HARA MASALA BIRYANI

This recipe was a speciality of my mum's. She made it almost at every special occasion in our house. We loved it to bits and till date we go mad when this biryani is made.It's simple to make, and with every bite you take can taste the freshness of the ingredients used in it. Every birthday that has gone by since I remember I've had this biryani my kids love it and I hope everyone who tries it loves it. The most important things to remember in this recipe is timing of how much you would boil the rice if you miss that technique you'll miss having a great biryani.

Biryani's are always easy to make and to me basically biryani is a one-pot dish. Biryani is half cooked rice layered with a special kind of curry. As you start to read the method of this one you'll be surprised that this recipe requires very little cooking really. When i make this recipe I usually keep the chillies on the minimal because of my kids but you can have more if you like......hope you like it and becomes a special dish for you and your family as much as it is for me and my family....healthy eating...

INGREDIENTS:-

• 1 Whole chicken cut in 8 pieces
• 4 Tbsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Garam masala
• 1/2 Bunch hara dhanya (coriander)
• 1/2 Bunch pudina (mint)
• 8-10 Green chillies
• 600g yogurt about 1 and 1/4 pack greek yogurt.
• 2 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1 1/2 Cups oil
• 2 Medium sized Onion
• 3 1/2 -4 cups rice washed and soaked in water just an hour before cooking
• Saffron
• 1/4 Cup milk
• 1 tsp yellow food coloring (optional)
• 2 Lemon's juice
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cardamom pods
• 2-3 cloves
• pinch kala zeera

METHOD:-

1. Wash the chicken well and drain well.
2. In the blender make the hara masala (add green chillies,coriander,mint,
   salt 2 Tbsp,ginger garlic paste, 1/4 oil , yogurt and garm masala).
3. Add this to the chicken and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.
4. Cut 2-4 green chillies in half, squeeze lemon juice , cut some coriander and mint and leave it aside.
5. Cut onions in thin slices ,fry in 1 1/4 cups oil ,and leave them aside too, also save the oil as well for later.
6. Now add water in a pan/pot, to that add black zeera, mint leave,2 Tbsp salt,cardamom,cloves,Cinnamon stick.
7. When it starts to boil drain the soaked rice and add to the water. Just about 3 Min's later, when it starts to boil with the rice be as alert as you can. Take a grain of rice in your hand and place it on your finger and press it with your thumb this will break into small pieces this should ideally break into max 3 pieces, not more. See the Picture below to get a better idea.
8. Once it reaches this stage very quickly drain the rice in a colander empty all the rice from the pan.
9. In the same pan add the oil used for frying the onions about 1/2 cup.
10. Then add the marinated chicken, to the pot.
11. Sprinkle fried onions, 1/2 of cut green chillies, some min and coriander leaves.
12. Now add all the rice to the pot and sprinkle the rest of the green chillies,fried onions,mint and coriander leaves.
13. To the 1/4 cup milk add saffron, and warm it up a bit before spreading it over the rice.
14. Add food coloring to the 1/4 cup water and add that all over the rice too.
15. Then with the help of a wooden spoon make holes. ( from the handle side)
16. Now pour over 2 Tbsp of oil and the lemon juice.
17. Cover the pot and cook over high heat for 5-8 Min's or till you start to hear a sizzling sound. then leave to cook on low heat for just about an hour.

Don't get too afraid to make it seeing all the steps its really easy to make...I made this biryani for the first time at the age of 14 and since then I've been making it and loving it been over 20 years now. Every time I make it I feel like I've made it for the fist time. the only step difficult is the boiling of rice and knowing when to take it off boiling just a helpful hint/tip in case you've boiled your rice a little longer don't panic just wash it under cold water and it won't be as bad as you think. I make it this recipe in memory of my mum ....love you mumma and miss you too always....:)