Instant Pot Best Tasting King Fish Biryani | Kerala Recipe

Hands down, this is the best-tasting fish biryani made in the Instant Pot…

Kingfish is my favorite fish, I would say the tastiest fish. Whenever I get hold of kingfish, I make biryani out of it. It’s my mom’s recipe & the best. This time, I made the biryani in the Instant Pot.

Turned out delish.

Instant Pot Best Tasting King Fish Biryani Recipe

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: Thasneen

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 5 people

Ingredients

For marinating the fish

• King fish- 10 to 12 pieces
• Chili powder- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Salt- 11/2 tsp

For frying fish

• Oil- enough for frying

For making fish masala

• Oil used for frying fish- 5 tbsp
• Onions, sliced- 4
• Salt- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Tomato, chopped- 2
• Kashmiri Chili powder-1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Yogurt (not sour), beaten- 3 tbsp

To grind

• Garlic, chopped- 5 cloves, medium sized
• Ginger, chopped- 2 inch slice
• Green chilies- 1 or 2
• Whole Cardamom- 4
• Whole Cloves- 2
• Whole Cinnamon- 2 inch slice

For cooking rice

• Basmati rice- 2 cups
• Bay leaves, dried- 2
• Whole Cardamom- 2
• Butter or Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Water- 2¼ cups (pressure cooking in the Instant Pot)
• Sliced or fired onions- ¼ cup
• Salt- 1 tsp

For garnishing

• Fried onions- 1 Onion, cut thin and long and fried in oil till golden brown.
• Cilantro, chopped- ¼ cup
• Mint leaves, chopped- ¼ cup

Instructions

1. Clean the king fish steaks under running water, if you want you could cut the steak into medium sized pieces.
2. Add the spices mentioned for 'marinating the fish', spread all over the fish, let marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Select Saute setting on the Instant Pot, at medium temperature.
4. Place the stainless steel pot on the main pot, let turn hot.
5. Add enough oil for shallow frying the fish.
6. Shallow fry the fish till golden in color. Avoid over frying the fish. Ensure fish is not sticking to the pot, gently flip it over using a tong.
7. Transfer to a kitchen paper towel.
8. Save the oil that's used for frying the fish & scrape off any fish particles we can use this for garnishing the biryani.
9. Place the stainless steel pot on the main pot.
10. Select saute setting at medium temperature.
11. Add the oil used for frying the fish, around 5 tbsp.
12. Add sliced onions along with curry leaves and ½ tsp salt, saute & cook covered till onions turn translucent.
13. Grind garlic, ginger, green chilies, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon together to a coarse paste.
14. When the onions turn soft, add the ground paste, saute for a few minutes.
15. Cook till onions turn golden brown in color.
16. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mashed well.
17. Keep stirring, otherwise the pot will turn brown & onions will be stuck to the pot.
18. Add chili powder, fennel powder, coriander powder and ½ tsp salt, combine well.
19. Add beaten yogurt, combine well and cook for 2 minutes.
20. Add the fried fish, gently combine everything.
21. Cook covered for 2 minutes.
22. Remove the pot from the main pot & keep it covered.

Cooking Basmati Rice

1. Soak 2 cups basmati rice in 3 cups water for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse the soaked basmati rice taken in a large strainer under running water.
3. Place stainless steel pot on the main pot.
4. Add the rice, bay leaves, whole cardamom, butter or ghee, salt, onions and water.
5. For 2 cups rice, 2¼ cups water should be added while pressure cooking in the Instant Pot.
6. Close with the lid.
7. Select pressure cook setting, time 6 minutes at high pressure.
8. After 6 minutes of pressure cooking, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes & then do a quick pressure release.
9. Open the lid, perfectly cooked fluffy basmati rice. Keep aside.
10. Fry sliced onions in oil till golden brown oin color, keep aside the fried onions.
11. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl.
12. On the same stainless steel pot. Let's layer the biryani.
13. First layer: spread half of the prepared fish masala.
14. Second layer: top with half of the cooked rice.
15. Garnish with cilantro, mint leaves, fried onions & the fish particles that's scraped off after frying the fish.
16. Repeat the layers.
17. Top layer should be rice, garnish with cilantro, mint leaves & fried onions.
18. Close the pot tightly with aluminum foil and then with a lid.
19. Place the pot on the main pot.
20. Select warm setting, time 10 minutes.
21. After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the main pot & keep covered.
22. While serving, combine the rice and fish masala together, serve on a plate along with raita and pickle.
23. Enjoy!

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