Recipe: Supriya's Fish Pulao

"An everyday Fish Pulao is a wonderful dish to have in one's repertoire," says Supriya Kutty. "It makes a nice change from fried and curried fish."

"Like many, if not most Indian home cooks, I cook from instinct, adding flavours and seasoning without always adhering to recipes and measurements," she adds.

"Cooking over time, one develops a sense of which ingredients complement each other and how much needs to be added to achieve a certain flavour. Food memory has a lot to do with this way of cooking," says Supriya.

"Anyway, suffice to say that this fish pulao recipe was born out of an 'idea' of what I expected in terms of look and taste from a fish-based pilaf.

"A pulao/pilaf is not a biryani in that it has fewer spices and is not layered. It is a simpler, less flamboyant yet equally delicious rice and vegetable/meat dish, that's more suited to everyday meals.

"Pulaos are lighter and more delicate and can be made in a pinch with whatever's in the fridge/pantry. No special purchases are required for this fish pulao, except for the fish itself," she explains.

Supriya calls herself a home cook, a culinary adventurer and word slinger.

Supriya's Fish Pualu

Photograph: Kind courtesy Supriya Kutty

Fish Pulao

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

4-6 cm-thick slices of firm, white fish
175 gm basmati rice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 fresh, green chillies, crushed
1¼-inch piece ginger peeled and crushed
5 pods garlic peeled and crushed
2 small tomatoes, chopped
50 gm natural, plain yoghurt, whisked
10 curry leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh green dhaniya or coriander or cilantro
1¼ tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
¼ tsp methi or fenugreek powder
1¼ tsp brown dhaniya or coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
3 green elaichi or cardamom
3 lavang or cloves
1¼ tbsp ghee
Salt to taste, about 2 tsp
Water

Method

Smear the fish with the turmeric and a little salt.
Keep aside.
Wash the rice and soak in plenty of water for 20 minutes.
Then drain through a sieve.
Keep aside
Pour the ghee into a wide saucepan over medium heat and gently saute the whole spices ie the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and the cumin, for 20 seconds.
Then add in the sliced onions and fry till translucent and lightly golden.
Lower the heat and add the curry leaves, crushed ginger, garlic, green chillies.
Saute gently for a minute or 2 taking care to not burn the garlic.
Mix the ground spices, except the garam masala, in 1 tbsp water and add to the pan.
Stir and cook for a minute.
Tip in the tomatoes and season with salt.
Cook the tomatoes till they become pulpy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Now add the whisked yoghurt and the lemon juice and cook the mixture for a further 4 to 5 minutes till you see the ghee separate on the edges of the spice mixture.
Gently place the fish slices into the pan and coat with the mixture.
Do not stir too much and let the fish sear for no more than a minute on each side.
Remove the fish onto a plate and keep aside.
Now put the drained rice into the saucepan, stir well to coat with the masala mixture and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, till well toasted.
Mix in the garam masala, spread the rice evenly around the pan and place the fish slices at even distances from each other.
Pour in enough water to just cover the surface of the rice and fish.
Too much water will make the rice squishy.
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, keep the heat on medium and cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take off heat, without removing the lid and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Finally, take off the lid, remove the fish pieces, fluff the rice gently with a fork, transfer into a serving dish.
Place the fish slices on top and serve.