Fish Breyani

Fish Breyani – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith

From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!

Ingredients:

3 cups long grain rice or basmati rice

1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup cooking oil

3 large potatoes

2 large onions, sliced thinly

1kg firm fish pieces of your choice, like hake or snoek

1 tomato, chopped

¼ cup buttermilk

1 – 2 green chillies, chopped

1½ tsp jeera / cumin

3 cloves

3 allspice

3 cardamoms

2 stick cinnamons

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter

Fish Masala

7 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

½ – 1 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp jeera / cumin

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp turmeric / borrie

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

Boil the rice in water until half done. Drain, rinse and set aside. Peel the potatoes, cut into slices. Heat the oil in saucepan, fry the potatoes until lightly browned and semi soft, set aside.

Drain excess oil from the saucepan, add the chopped onions, fry until golden brown. Add the chopped tomato, buttermilk, green chillies, jeera, cloves, allspice, cardamoms, stick cinnamon and salt.

Simmer over low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until onions are soft.

Meanwhile, make the masala to fry the fish. Combine all the spices in a small bowl, stir to combine. Wash and dry the fish pieces, smear the masala mixture all over the fish. Leave to sit for 10 minutes before frying in the left over oil used for frying the potatoes.

Arrange the potato slices at the bottom of a large heavy based pot / saucepan. Add half of the rice on top of the potatoes, spreading it evenly. Arrange the fish slices on top of the rice, then the onion mixture, then the mixed vegetables ending with the remaining rice. Dot the butter on top of the rice add 1 cup of hot water.

Cover and steam to complete over low to medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving with lemon atchar or blatjang.

© Cape Malay Cooking