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    Bengali cuisine
    Fish biryani
    Spiced rice
    Intermediate
    For 3 people

    Bengali Fish Biryani: Fluffy Rice with Tender Fried Fish


    Bengali Fish Biryani is a mildly spiced, fragrant rice and fish dish hailing from the Kolkata region. Marinated fish is fried until lightly crisp outside and perfectly flaky within, then layered with par-boiled rice infused with whole spices. A final steaming melds the flavours together into a harmonious one-pot meal. While it involves a few steps, this fish biryani is quite simple to pull off with a little organisation. The subtle flavours and textures are worth the effort. Serve with a cucumber raita on the side to round out the meal.

    Ingredients

    • Sunrise Biryani Masala

      20 g

    • Bhetki Fish

      250 g

    • Long-grain Rice (half-cooked)

      500 g

    • Berasta

      50 g

    • Whole Garam Masala

      25 g

    • Bay Leaves

      2 pcs

    • Lemon Juice

      ½ lemon

    • Salt

      to taste

    • Sugar

      10 g

    • Sunrise Turmeric Powder

      40 g

    • Sunrise Red Chilli Powder

      30 g

    • Ginger Paste

      30 g

    • Garlic Paste

      30 g

    • Green Chilli Paste

      20 g

    • Sour Curd

      15 g

    • Ghee

      50 ml

    • Rose Water

      15 ml

    • Kewra Water

      10 ml

    • Refined Oil

      250 ml

    • Saffron Milk

      40 ml

    • Water

      50 ml

    Sunrise tip: For a more intense flavour, use mustard oil to fry the fish.

    If pomfret is not available, any firm-fleshed white fish like cod, tilapia, or basa works well.

    Adding a splash of rose water or kewra water in the final steaming stage lends a lovely floral aroma to the biryani.

     

    Steps

    Step 1: Marinate the Fish

    Time: 10 minutes

    Rinse the fish steaks and pat dry. In a large bowl, mix together lemon juice, salt, Sunrise Turmeric powder, Sunrise Red Chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilli paste and rub the marinate well with your hands.

    Keep it aside.

     

    Step 2: Fry the Fish

    Time: 8-10 minutes

    Heat refined oil in a non-stick pan. Shake off excess marinade and pan-fry the fish steaks on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side until lightly browned.

    Remove to a plate.

     

    Step 3: Prepare the Masala

    Time: 15 minutes

    In another kadhai/ wok, heat the remaining oil, add ghee, whole garam masala, bay leaves and fry for 2-3 minutes.

    Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes until raw smell disappears.

    Add Sunrise Turmeric powder, Sunrise Red Chilli powder, some water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

    Beat the yoghurt until smooth and mix it in. Simmer for 2-3 minutes more while stirring. Add salt to taste, sugar, lemon juice, rose water, kewra water and stir well.

     

    Step 4: Add Fried Fish & Layer the Biryani

    Time: 15-20 minutes

    Add fried bhetki to the cooked masala and sprinkle berasta over it.

    Now, add the half cooked rice to the masala bhetki as a layer.

    Pour in saffron milk and add Sunrise Biryani Masala. Cover the pan/ kadhai with a lid and dum cook it for 10 minutes.

     

    Step 6: Garnish and Serve

    Time: 2 minutes

    Gently fluff up the top layer of rice with a fork. Garnish with fried onions, mint, coriander and lemon wedges.

    Serve piping hot with a cool cucumber-yoghurt raita on the side.

     

    Goes Best With

    • Sides: Raita, salad, boiled egg, papad, fried eggplant slices, mustard chutney and mint chutney.