Fish and Prawn Breyani

I don’t eat enough fish…sad but true! So this is me making an attempt…

This is my latest quick and easy breyani recipe – it’s also become known as the FONG KONG Breyani!!! The old-fashioned way was to steam the raw fish with the rice…sometimes it’s perfect and sometimes the fish turns into mush….this FONG KONG style ensures that it will be perfect…aromatic, appetizing and beautifully presented.

Most of my favourite fish choices are either on the red or orange list. Check the SASSI website for more details…you will be surprised to find some of our old favourites like Englishman, Red Roman and Mussel Cracker on the list! So buy fish on the ‘Green List’! I have opted to use fresh hake….it is seriously good, reasonably priced and always available! To ‘tart up’ the hake, I ‘shoshen’ sauteed prawns over just before serving.

Nothing beats a good pot for making breyani…a FONG KONG pot just won’t do. That would be asking for trouble. For me, I haul out a rather large AMC pot, to cook up a super large batch…we sometimes have neighbors to feed!

Here is the recipe:

Fish and Prawn Breyani

1kg linefish steaks
15ml red chilli powder
Salt to season
1kg prawn tails
Sunflower oil to fry fish and prawns
4 potatoes, sliced into rounds and fried
65ml sunflower oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
7ml coarse salt
20ml crushed garlic
30ml red chilli powder
400g chopped tomatoes
10ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
2ml turmeric
125ml fresh cream
250ml cooked lentils
900ml cooked basmati rice, cooled
100g butter, melted
250ml boiling water
Fresh coriander, to garnish

Here’s how:

Rub the red chilli and salt over the fish steaks and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
Heat the sunflower oil, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
When the spices are fragrant, add the cumin seeds.
Once the seeds splutter, add the onion and salt.
Saute until the onion is light golden brown.
Stir in the crushed garlic, stir for a few seconds, then add the red chilli powder.
Add the chopped tomatoes followed by ground cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Simmer until the tomatoes soften.
Add the fresh cream, layer the potatoes and halt the lentils over the tomatoes.
Next add the cold basmati rice and the remaining lentils.
Drizzle in the melted butter and pour the boiling water over the rice.
Steam on low until the rice heats through.
Heat the sunflower oil and fry the fish until golden brown.
Place the fish steaks over the rice and cover.
Lastly heat 30ml sunflower oil and saute the prawn tails for a minute just before serving.
Season the prawns with salt and scatter them over the rice.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and leave to infuse for a minute.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.