Fish Biryani

Prepare the crushed aromatic paste: Combine 10 garlic cloves, a 2-inch piece of ginger, and 5 green chilies. Crush them well or process in a small mixer until a coarse paste forms. Set aside. Thinly slice 5 medium onions and 4 medium tomatoes.

Fry onions: Heat 0.5 cup refined cooking oil in a large pan. Add thinly sliced onions and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Fry on high heat for 5-10 minutes, then medium-high until golden brown. Remove 2/3 of the fried onions and set aside for layering.

Prepare fish masala base: To the remaining oil, add 3 tablespoons ghee. Once hot, add 4 crushed cardamom pods, 8 cloves, a 3-inch cinnamon stick (broken), and a little mace (optional). Stir for 30 seconds on low flame. Add the crushed aromatic paste and sauté for 2 minutes on medium flame until the raw smell disappears.

Add tomatoes and powdered spices: Add sliced tomatoes and 2.5 teaspoons salt. Cook on high flame, stirring continuously, until tomatoes soften, release their water, and the oil separates (about 5-7 minutes). Reduce flame to low, add 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1.5 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons garam masala, and 1.5 teaspoons crushed black pepper. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

Finish masala: Add 1 cup hot water and mix well. Bring to a boil on high flame. Turn off the heat once boiling; the fish masala is ready. Transfer to a larger pot if needed for dum cooking.

Cook the rice: In a separate pan, heat 3 tablespoons ghee and 2 tablespoons refined cooking oil. Add 5 crushed cardamom pods, 8 cloves, a 4-inch cinnamon stick (broken), and a little mace (optional). Stir for 30 seconds on low flame. Add 7.5 cups water, 2.75 teaspoons salt, 1.5 teaspoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the previously fried onions. Bring to a rolling boil on high flame.

Cook rice (continued): Add the washed and drained Kaima rice to the boiling water. Stir well. Once it returns to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes (1 minute on high flame, then 4 minutes on medium flame). After 5 minutes, uncover, stir gently, then cover again and immediately turn off the heat. Let it rest, covered, while you proceed with the fish.

Cook the fish: Place the pot with the fish masala back on the stove. Turn the heat to high until it boils. Add the cleaned fish pieces and gently mix to coat with masala. Once boiling again, cover and cook on low flame for 4 minutes until the fish is mostly cooked. Stir gently to avoid breaking the fish pieces.

Layer the biryani: Turn off the heat from the fish masala. Sprinkle 0.75 cup chopped mint and coriander leaves over the fish. Carefully layer half of the cooked rice over the fish. Top with some fried onions, chopped mint, and coriander leaves. Add the remaining rice, then more fried onions, chopped mint, and coriander.

Dum cooking and serving: Drizzle 2 tablespoons ghee over the top layer. Cover the pot tightly. Place on the lowest possible flame for 8 minutes for dum cooking. After 8 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest, undisturbed, for at least 30 minutes (preferably 1 hour or more). Serve hot, gently mixing from the side to get a portion of fish, masala, and rice.