The Festival of Lights has finally arrived, so don’t let the dour mood of Covid-19 dampen the festivities!
This is a time to spend together with family and friends (in small groups, of course), and what better way to show them your hospitality than by cooking up something delicious?
Briyani is a meal that most Malaysians enjoy, with its rich fragrance and exquisite taste.
Just follow this recipe provided to FMT by Sheena Haikal of Sheena’s Cooking Passion fame and let your kitchen be a place of wonders!
Ingredients
For fried fish and marinade:
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 fish of your choice
For the briyani rice:
- 2 onions
- 2 tomatoes
- Handful of coriander leaves
- Handful of mint leaves
- 2 green chillies
- 3 teaspoons chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 5 cardamoms
- 5 cloves
- 1 cinnamon
- 2 star anise
- 2 tablespoons tairu/curd
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
Method
- Heat up 6 tablespoons of ghee and fry the marinated fish in it.
- Keep the fish aside.
- With the same ghee used to fry the fish, temper cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise, bay leaf and ginger garlic paste.
- Add in onion and sauté well until it turns golden brown.
- Once the onion is golden brown, add tomatoes, coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli. Mix well.
- Add in all the spices.
- Cook until the oil separates before adding the tairu/curd.
- Add three cups of water. For each cup of rice you use, add one and half cups of water.
- Season with salt.
- Bring to a boil and add in the rice.
- Add in the fried fish before closing the lid.
- Cook over a low flame for 20 minutes.
- Once done, add in one tablespoon of ghee before stirring the rice.
- Gently mix the rice before sprinkling more coriander leaves onto it.
- Serve as prepared.
For more mouth-watering recipes you can try this Deepavali, visit Sheena’s Cooking Passion on Facebook.