Marias Menu

Fish Masala

1. King fish - 1/2 kg
2. Onion - 2 big
   Crushed Ginger & garlic - 1 tablespoon each
   Crushed green chilli - 1 tablespoon
3. Tomato - 3 medium
4. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
5. Curd - 1/4 cup

For Marination

1. Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon
   Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
   Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
2. Ginger & garlic - 1 desert spoon each
   Small onion - 3,4
3. Fenugreek - a pinch
   Mustard - a pinch
4. Salt

For white paste

1. Coconut - 2 tablespoon
   Couscous - 1/2 tablespoon
   Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon (soaked in water)

1. Refined oil
2. Dalda
3. Coriander leaves

Rice - 2 cups
water - 4 cups
Cardamom - 6
Cinnamon - medium size stick
Clove - 6
Ghee & Dalda - as required
Lemon Juice - 1,2 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon
Salt 

Grind together all the ingredients for marination into a fine paste. Marinate the cleaned fish pieces with this paste for 1/2 an hour. Grind together the ingredients for white paste & keep aside. Shallow fry the marinated fish till it is half cooked. Add 1 tablesppon dalda to this oil & saute the onion till it becomes soft. Add the crushed ginger, garlic & green chilli & saute for 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon coriander powder. When the oil starts appearing add the tomatoes.When the tomatoes are cooked well add 1/4 cup curd. Mix well. Add the shallow fried fish pieces.Make sure that the fish pieces are covered with gravy.After 5 minutes add the white paste. When the gravy becomes thick & fish is cooked remove from fire.

Boil 4 cups of water with whole masala ( cardamom, cloves & cinnamon ) & let it cool. Clean the rice & soak for 25 minutes & drain the water completely. Heat 1/2 tablespoon ghee & 1/2 tablespoon dalda in a pan.Fry the rice. When the rice starts cracking add boiled water, salt,coriander leaves & lemon juice. Cook the rice till the water is completely dried. Butter a baking dish. Spread one layer of fish masala first & a layer of rice on top of it. Repeat the same. Bake it at 220 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Spread a wet cloth over the dish while baking. Garnish with fried onions,nuts, raisins. Note: water for cooking the rice should always be double the amount of rice. Serve the biriyani with raitha,mango chutney & pappad.