Macchi Dam Biryani I Fish Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

For Cooking Rice: 

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups washed and soaked for at-least 45 mins.
• Water - As required
• Desi Ghee- 1 tsp
• Cardamom - 4
• Cloves - 4
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf - 2 
• Salt - as per taste

For Fish Marination: 

• Fish Pieces - 1/2 kg ( I Used Rohu/barramundi fish fillet  )
• Salt to taste
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper -1/2 tsp
• Ginger and garlic paste- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch 
• Lemon Juice - to taste
• Oil for frying - 1/4 cup

For fish Gravy:

• Bay Leaves - 2 
• Cardamom - 2
• Cloves - 4-5
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Pepper corn/ Kali mirch- 6-7
• Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp
• Onion - 2 large thinly sliced
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 tblspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder- 1tblspn
• Coriander powder - 1 tblspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
• Tomato - 1 large chopped
• Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup finely chopped(Optional)
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup finely chopped
• Salt to taste

For Saffron Milk:

• Saffron - a pinch
• Warm Milk - 1/4 cup

Method:

For Rice

• In a large pot, add enough water.  Add all the ingredients(bay leave, Salt, Ghee, Jeera, Cardamom ,Cloves and Cinnamon)given for cooking rice Bring it to a boil.
• Add rice and cook until the rice is 80% done.
• Drain it in a colander and set aside.

Mix saffron with warm milk and set aside to steep.

For Fish Marination: 

• Marinate the fish in the ingredients given for 30 mins.  Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan(this is the pan where you are going to make gravy ). Add the fish pieces in this oil and cook them for 5 mins on each side. Remove them to a plate.

For Fish Gravy

• In the same pot add enough oil, then add bay leaves, Jeera, Cardamom ,Cloves and Cinnamon stick, black pepper corn and let it fry for 1-2 min.
• Add in sliced onions and saute for 5 mins or so. 
• Once the onion is cooked, add in ginger garlic paste and saute them for a min.
• Add in tomatoes and a splash of water. Cook this for 5 mins till the tomatoes is mashed completely.
• Now add in all the spice powders and mix them for 30 sec. 
• Add in salt, mint leaves, coriander leaves. Mix well.Cook this for 5 mins till the masala is completely cooked.
• Now add fried fish so that that gravy is also have some fish flavor
• adjust the thickness...it should be thick.

For Layering:

• Now in a heavy bottom pan, spread a layer of rice.. evenly
• Sprinkle the saffron milk/water.
• Then layer it with fish gravy.

• After that sprinkle some mint and coriander leaves.
• Again repeat the same process...
• Second layer of rice and saffron water then Fish gravy , mint and coriander leaves.

• And then again cover it with rice and Saffron milk.
• Now Cover the pot with the lid and seal it with the kneaded dough.
• Now place this pot over a heavy bottom iron tawa and put the tawa on Medium to low heat. Let this whole thing be on "Dum"(simmer) for 15 mins. Open the lid and mix everything up. 
• After 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave as it is for 10 minutes.
• Serve this yummy briyani with your choice of raita.