Salmon Fish Biryani, a aromatic and scrumptious one pot rice made from basmati rice, fish and indian spices. When it comes to biryani, fish biryani is not that common in our household compared to chicken and mutton biryani. It's one of my recent favorite biryani and it's been on repeat mode in my kitchen for a while now because of high demand. 

For today's biryani, i have used salmon fish which is our most favorite fish available here.  But any fleshy fish can be used in the same way to make yummy biryani. Vanjiram/king fish and tilapia fish also works well for this recipe. If you're fish lover and want something comforting and light on your weekend meal, then you must try this. Unless chicken and mutton biryani, it doesn't feel heavy after the meal.

Ever since, i had bought the cast iron pan, i have been trying all kind of one pot rice/biryani with it. It's perfect to make rice dishes in dum style. Totally love the way the rice get cooked in this dum method. Perfectly fluffy without any mushiness even at the bottom of the pan. I know that I'm repeating it whenever  share any dum recipes recently, because i'm totally in love with dum cooking method as of now and if you haven't tried making biryani in dum style, do give it a try. 

Dum cooking is nothing but trapping the steam inside the vessel and cook it on low flame. All you need is some heavy pot with lid and some weight to put on the lid for dum cooking. See the notes sections for more details if you're making dum style biryani for first time. Now let's check out how to make this delicious fish dum biryani.

Salmon Fish Biryani | Fish Dum Biryani

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2 to 3 
Recipe Category: Biryani | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Salmon Fish Biryani, Fish Biryani,Dum Biryani,Salmon Fish, Biryani Recipe, Best Fish Biryani,Meen Biryani Salmon Fish Biryani, a aromatic and scrumptious one pot rice made from basmati rice, fish and indian spices.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion(medium) - 1
Tomato - 1/2( medium size)
Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tbsp
Mint & Coriander leaves - handful
Turmeric powder - pinch
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2 nos
Cinnamon - small piece
Cardamom - 1 no
Bay leaf -1 
Star anise - 1 
Ghee  - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 cup
Curd - 2 tbsp
Salt- to taste
To Marinate 
Salmon Fish - 1/2 lb
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Procedure

Soak the rice for 30 mins. Marinate the fish with the ingredients listed under "To marinate" & let it marinate for 30 mins - 1 hr. Slice the onions thinly and slit the green chili and cut the tomatoes into small pieces.

Heat a thick bottom pan( here i'm using my cast iron pan) with 1/2 tbsp of oil and add half of the onions.Saute till the onions are brown in medium flame and remove it on the plate.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil and pan fried the fish till they are golden brown on both sides and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add the whole gram masala spices(cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bayleaf & star anise). And then add the remaining onions & saute, once the onions become translucent.

Next add the tomatoes, mint, coriander leaves & ginger garlic paste, saute till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste are gone and then add the curd & spice powder(turmeric, red chili & garam masala powder) give a good mix.

Cover the kadai with lid and cook the masala till they are aromatic and the raw smells are gone.

Add water and salt & bring into boil.

Discard water from the soaked rice & add into the water and let it boil for 2-3 mins.

Once the water is almost absorbed by the rice and it's almost cooked, place the fried fish on top of the rice.

Cover the kadai with lid and put on some weight to avoid the steam to escape and let it cook for 5 mins in low and keep it covered and undisturbed for another 15 mins. Then open the lid and add the fried onions,ghee and some coriander leaves on top. 

Delicious Fish Biryani is ready. Serve it with simple raita. For  salmon fish fry recipe, check out here & here or looking for more non veg recipe, check out here

Notes:

• Remember that the fish has already seasoned well, so when you season the water, don't over do it.
• Make sure to use pot/pan has heavy bottom otherwise it's easily get burned at the bottom.
• After pan fried the fish, make biryani in the same pan without washing, the flavor from the fired fish makes the rice more tasty 
• Adding ghee at last gives great flavor to the biryani.
• To avoid the escape of steam, you can use any weight on top of the lid. If your lid is flat, even pot filled with water on the top works fine for making dum effect.
• Don't open the pot at once when the stove is switched off, keep it covered at least for 10 - 15 mins before opening the pot.
• Here i have used 2 cups of water for 1 cup of basmati rice.
• I have used skinless salmon fish for this biryani