Seafood Biryani Recipe
by Alfred Prasad
6
60 minutes
Ingredients

Seafood biryani

  • 24 king prawns, peeled with tail left on
  • 12 Queen scallops, roe removed, keep some whole for garnish and cut the others into quarters
  • 40g of white crab meat
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 350g of basmati rice
  • 200ml of fish stock
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3 tbsp of natural set yoghurt
  • cassia, one 2 inch piece (you can use cinnamon if you can't get hold of cassia)
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 60ml of vegetable oil
  • salt

Herb paste

  • 1 knob of ginger, 1 inch in length, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp of coriander leaves
  • 2 tbsp of mint leaves
  • 2 tbsp of dill tops, reserve a few sprigs for garnish
  • 2 green chillies, de-seeded

To serve

  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1 tbsp of pine nuts, toasted
Method
1
To begin, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Sauté the bay leaves for 10 seconds and add sliced onions. Fry until deep golden brown
  • 60ml of vegetable oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 large onions, sliced
2
While the onions are cooking, place a large pan of water to boil. Wash and soak the rice in a large bowl of lukewarm water. Place the fish stock in a saucepan over medium heat, reduce by half and set aside
  • 350g of basmati rice
  • 200ml of fish stock
3
Grind the ingredients for the herb paste in a food processor and set aside
  • 1 knob of ginger, 1 inch in length, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp of coriander leaves
  • 2 tbsp of mint leaves
  • 2 tbsp of dill tops, reserve a few sprigs for garnish
  • 2 green chillies, de-seeded
4
When the onions are browned, add the turmeric, fry for a minute and add the herb paste. Fry for a further 2–3 minutes, add the yoghurt and stir well to combine. Cook for a further 5 minutes and remove from heat
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3 tbsp of natural set yoghurt
5
Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and salt to the pan of boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes then remove the spices and discard. Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water, stirring gently
  • salt
  • cassia, one 2 inch piece (you can use cinnamon if you can't get hold of cassia)
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods
6
Meanwhile, heat the pan containing the herb mixture and add the scallops, prawns and crab meat. Sauté for a minute, stirring gently. Add the reduced fish stock and remove a few prawns and scallops for garnish
  • 24 king prawns, peeled with tail left on
  • 40g of white crab meat
  • 12 Queen scallops, roe removed, keep some whole for garnish and cut the others into quarters
7
Check the rice – once it is three quarters cooked, drain in a colander and add to the pan containing the herbs and seafood. Stir gently to mix the herbs and seafood into the rice. Check the seasoning, add the lemon juice and leave to simmer for 10 minutes
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
8
To serve, divide the biryani between bowls and garnish with a few of the reserved king prawns and scallops. Add a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and dill fronds. Serve hot
  • 1 tbsp of pine nuts, toasted