Curry of the week : 13-July-97

Seafood Biriani

Ingredients

• 675 g (1.5 lb) mixed seafood, prawns, scallops, fish etc.
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, chopped
• up to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  
  
• Rice
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1/4 teaspoon yellow food colouring
  • 1/2 small onion chopped
  • 300 ml (1/2 pint) meat stock
  
  
• Spices 1
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
  
  
• Spices 2
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 5 cm (2 inch) piece cassia bark
  • 2 bay leaves
  
  
• Garnish
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1 tablespoon halved cashew nuts
  • 1 hard boiled egg, sliced

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
• To make the filling, fry the onion, garlic and ginger in oil until golden then add spices 1. Add lemon juice, tomatoes and simmer until mixture looks dry (about 15 minutes). Add seafood and cook for five minutes.
• Par-boil the rice for about five minutes. Strain and set aside.
• Fry the rice onion in some oil, add the stock and food colouring. Add the rice, heat through then strain, keeping the stock.
• Place a layer of rice (about half) in a flat dish, top with spices , then layer in the filling. Top with remaining rice, pour on the retained stock, cover and cook for about one hour.
• Garnish with raisins, cashews and sliced egg.

Serves 4.