Prawns Briyani

500gm prawns, shelled and de-veined

After cleaning the prawns, marinate them in 1 tsp red chilli powder, half tsp salt, juice of 1 lemon, 1 11/2 tbspn briyani masala and 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste.

half cup oil
 3 medium onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tbspn briyani masala ( i use Mehran Briyani Masala)
half cup fresh yoghurt, whipped
11/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
juice of half a lemon
pinch of saffron
quarter tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed...then fried
4 tbsp chopped coriander

Heat oil, fry the 1 sliced onions, then drain and set aside. In the same oil add whole garam masala then add 2 sliced onions as soon as onions get soften add the chopped tomatoes next add the ginger and garlic paste, 1/2 tbspn of briyani masala, turmeric powder and cumin powder, add the marinated prawns, sprinkle a bit of salt on them  and fry for 2-3 minutes. Do not over-fry the prawns as they will cook some more in the gravy, and over-cooking prawns makes them hard.

In the meantime, whip the yoghurt in a bowl,add whipped yogurt to it and then potatoes and simmer together on low heat, giving an occasional stir. Adjust the salt. When done, squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle the chopped coriander. Mix in.

Next make the rice:

Wash then soak 3 cups of rice in water for about 20-30 mins.

Soak a few saffron strands in some water and set aside.

Bring a big pot of water to boil, add salt, 4 cardamom pods, 2-3 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 cloves plus about 2 tbsp of oil.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to this water when it is boiling. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done, remove and strain out all the water. Now in a pot, add prawns masala spread at the bottom and then add half cooked rice, sprinkle some mint leaves, the remaining fried onions, saffron color and cover tightly with the lid and cook for 30min. First 5 minute at high flame, next 15 minutes at medium flame and last 10 minutes at low flame. If your pot/pan is thin, make sure you place a tava (the flat pan for making chapatis/parathas/rotis) under the pot so that your biryani doesn't burn. You can place this tava after the first 5 minutes

 When ready to serve, sprinkle some extra chopped coriander, some chopped chilli for a spicier result and squeeze some extra lemon juice. If you have extra fried onions you can use them for garnishing. Mix everything gently together and serve!

  

Fish Karahi

500gm fish fillet of your choice, cut into pieces

Marinate the fish for at least 2 hours in a paste made from some salt, red chilli powder, drop of garlic paste and juice of 1 lemon.

Other ingredients needed:

2 onions, chopped fine
4 tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp yoghurt, whipped
3 green chillis, chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp roasted whole coriander seeds, then crushed roughly
1 tsp roasted whole cumin seeds, crushed
2 tsp red chilli powder, adjust to taste
juice of half a lemon
some chopped coriander leaves
half tsp garam masala
Oil

Heat some oil and fry the fish pieces for 2-3 minutes on each side in batches, just to seal them up. Remove and set aside.

In a separate pan, add quarter cup of oil, fry the onions until almost golden, then add the ginger and garlic pastes and the crushed cumin and coriander. Fry for a few seconds then add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are cooked and thick, and the oil comes out from the sides. Add the whipped yoghurt and red chilli powder. Cook for a couple of minutes until the yoghurt is well-blended with the tomatoes, then add the fish pieces and the green chillis. Stir once, add the salt, lower the heat to very low, cover the pan tightly and let the fish cook for about 10 minutes.

Open the pan, mix the fish gently to avoid breaking the pieces, then sprinkle the coriander leaves, garam masala and squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Simmer for a few seconds, then turn off the heat and serve hot! :)