Step 1

• Maintain medium flame. Heat a pan. Add the oil and ghee to the pan. Also add the garlic crushed or garlic paste. Now add the fennel seeds to the oil. After adding the above ingredients stir for 2 minutes.

• After 2 minutes add the onions, onions needs to be chopped into thin and small to get a good consistency to the gravy. After adding the onions stir for 12-14 minutes.

• Now add salt. Add the small and thin chopped tomatoes. Stir for 5 minutes. After tomatoes is soft, maintain low flame and add the spices (turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, Red chilli powder, coriander powder and biryani masala). Mix for 3 minutes on low flame.

• After 3 minutes add the tamarind water or tamarind paste. Also add the garlic powder or garlic paste.

• Now add water as required. Mix well. Cover the pan and bring to boil.

• Once it starts to boil take the lid off. Boil again to let half of the water evaporates and get a nice and thicker gravy. When the gravy starts to thicken add the fish or prawn or shrimp. Now bring the flame to medium to high and cook for 4-7 minutes for prawn or shrimp.

• Once the gravy is thicken and fish is cooked, add 2-3 tablespoon of coriander leaves.

• Now turn off the heat and keep the gravy aside.

**Cook 12-20 minutes for fish depending on the type of fish.

**Fish like Tuna needs 20 minutes cooking time. At the same time seabass needs 12-15 minutes.

**Cook for 4-7 minutes for prawn or shrimp.

**Don't over cook the prawn or shrimp more than the required time.

Step 2

• Wash & drain basmati rice with running tap water. Add water to the pan with rice, up to 1 inch below the top of the pan. In other way, add water 4 times the level of the rice.

• Add salt and ghee from step 2 ingredients. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the rice starts to boil. Once starts to boil take the lid out and boil for 1 minute.

**This method is only use for biryani rice. Other type of rice cooking times can vary.

• After 1 minute turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Leave it covered for 6-8 minutes. Check in 6 minutes, if cooked drain the water from the rice. For draining the water from the rice, colander can be used.

**Rice doesn't need to be squishy when cooked for biryani.

**watch the video for details.

• After 6 minutes if the rice is not cooked properly, leave it another 2 minutes covered and then drain the water.

** All basmati rices have various cooking time, 2-4 minutes variations expected. Depends on the method used for processing the rice.

Step 3

• Maintain medium to low flame.

• Heat a fry pan. Add ghee or clarified butter to the pan.** Step 3 ingredients.

• Also add crushed cardamom, cashews and raisins ** can also fry cashews and raisins separately.

**I normally add cashews first and in 30 seconds add raisins, that is for quickness.

• Stir until it is golden brown or until the raisins all puffy. Adjust heat accordingly.

• Do not let it go too brown. When it starts golden brown turn off the heat.

• Add turmeric powder. Immediately transfer to everything to a plate including the ghee and nuts.

Step 4

• Layer the biryani as shown in the video.  One layer rice and one layer prawn gravy.

• Can also add some coriander leaves on top of the gravy. Then add rice again. Then gravy.

• On the top layer add the cashews, raisins , coriander leaves to garnish.

**The yellow coloured ghee, try to spread all areas of the rice, which helps to give a good colour and taste to the biryani.