We often end up throwing the leftover foods and regret later when our efforts go waste like this in a bin. Perhaps, the best way to avoid wasting leftover food is to upcycle it cleverly. So, today I am sharing one such recipe, made from some leftover fish eggs that I cooked the previous day. This fish egg biryani is prepared in Hyderabadi dum biryani style. Though it is not a new recipe, I made it on my way, and there might be very few people who would have tried it with fish eggs. The flavour of the fish eggs is intense in every forkful bite complemented by the perfectly cooked long grain basmati rice and handpicked herbs & aromatics, which is worth trying. Check this out!

Ingredients:

Basmati rice: 2 cups (Soak for half an hour)
Fish eggs: 250 gms (Boiled or pre-cooked with mild spices)
Potatoes: 4 small-sized (Cut into two pieces
Onions: 4-5 large (Sliced)
Ginger garlic paste: 2 tablespoons
Mint leaves: 2 cups
Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder: 2 tablespoons
Biryani masala: 2 teaspoons (Optional)
Whole spices: Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves (6-8 nos. of each)
Green chillies: 2-3 nos.
Curd: 1 cup
Salt: As per taste
Ghee: 1 cup

Preparation: 60 to 90 minutes, serves 4-5 persons.

Step 1: Fry the potatoes until brown and keep them aside. You can use the same biryani utensil to fry the potatoes as well.

Step 2: Heat ghee in the biryani pot add the sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent and dark brown. Take out half of the fried onion and keep it aside for later. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry it for a minute. Now add the potatoes followed by the powder spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, red chilli, biryani masala & salt) and saute for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle a little water to avoid burning.

Step 3: Once the rawness of the spices is gone add curd and mix it well. Now add the fish eggs, one cup of mint leaves and half of the coriander leaves. Stir it all together and add about 300 ml of water. Cover the pot and let it cook until the potatoes are cooked on a low flame.

Step 4: Heat water in another pot to cook the rice. Add the whole spices (cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves & green chillies) along with a pinch of salt into the water. Once the water is boiled take the whole spices out with the help of a strainer and add the soaked rice. Cook the rice on low flame until it’s 80% done and drain the water.

Step 5: Once the potatoes are cooked and the water reduced, spread a layer of the fish egg gravy in the biryani pot followed by a layer of rice. You can do it in two layers. Now on the top of the layer toss the remaining mint and coriander leaves, fried onions and add 3-4 teaspoons of ghee and cover it. Since the biryani needs to be cooked under the pressure (dum), seal the edges with a dough made with flour. Now let it cook on a very low flame for the next 20-25 minutes. If the bottom of the pot is not very thick place a tawa or flat pan below it.

Once done, let rest for 5 minutes. Open the seal, stir it gently and serve it hot. 

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