Seafood biryani
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Egg-freeGluten-freeNut-free
An affordable, quick biryani using convenient packs of frozen mixed seafood. A Pakistani inspired twist on a classic that's packed with flavour while keeping costs low and cooking time manageable. I keep packs of frozen seafood in my freezer for quick dinners or an extra protein hit.
For this recipe you’ll need two a lidded casserole or saucepan.
By Zaynah Din
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 tbsp biryani spice mix (see recipe tips)
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 x 300g packs frozen mixed seafood
- 240g/8½oz basmati rice, washed and soaked
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- salt
- fresh coriander, to garnish
- lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and ginger paste and fry until golden brown and the onion is soft.
Add the biryani spice mix and fry for 20 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the tomato purée and a cup of water (about 240ml/8½fl oz). Fry for 4–5 minutes, until the tomato purée deepens in colour. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the seafood, remove from the heat and stir until the seafood is coated in the spiced sauce.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the soaked and drained rice, bay leaves and star anise and cook for 8 minutes, or until the rice is just tender. Don’t overcook it or the finished biryani may become soggy. Drain well.
Layer some of the rice in a clean lidded casserole or pan, followed by a layer of the seafood mixture. Repeat the layers until all the rice and seafood mixture have been used.
Cover with a lid and cook over the lowest heat for 30–35 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through and the rice is tender.
Gently mix the biryani and scatter with fresh coriander. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe tips
To make your own biriyani spice blend, combine 5 cardamom, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp coarse black pepper, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric and salt to taste.
