Rawas/Surmai ( Salmon/Kingfish) Dum Biryani with Dill; Diabetes Friendly Thursday Eid Special.

Would you call me a liar if I were to tell you that I can make Biryani using only ONE teaspoon oil??? Well, the proof is here. Why don't you try this recipe for yourself and see how it turns out?? You don't need your food to be oozing oodles of oil for it to be tasty. This is something that was ingrained in me at a very young age by my mother. She managed an entire month with only 1/2 liter oil!! This included making the occasional fried items too.. Cooking healthy and eating healthy is a mind thing. You have to retrain your mind to "think healthy". This is what we at Team DFT do. We think healthy, we cook healthy and we want to promote this amongst everyone that we come across. It has to be a paradigm shift.

This week is Eid for our Muslim brothers and sisters. In their honor, Team DFT is bringing to you a variety of healthy, delicious  biryanis and pulaos that you can make and enjoy in your homes. 

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Being a diabetic does not mean that you cannot eat carbohydrates ( rice )at all! You just have to be mindful of what you eat and how much you eat. Diabetes educator Emmy Suhl of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston states " there is no such thing as a diabetes diet." The best diet for someone with diabetes is your basic, healthy diet." Just swap unhealthy food with healthy foods. Fill your plate up with non-starchy vegetables and a small portion of rice the way I have done in this plate with the biryani. This way you would have satisfied your palate and your stomach. I promise you that you will not walk away hungry!!

Without further ado, let me tell you about this Fish Dum Biryani that I have made today and what I did to make it healthy. The basic recipe for this is courtesy one of my very talented cousins, Seema. Seema is an excellent cook. I love her food. I have modified her recipe to make it even healthier. I have used parboiled basmati rice instead of regular basmati rice. 

Parboiled basmati rice is less processed, has more nutritional value and gives a better yield per cup of uncooked rice with 3 cups for each cup of uncooked rice as compared to 2 cups cooked rice per cup of uncooked regular basmati rice. The base for this Biryani is cilantro( coriander leaves), mint leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. I added dill to this which and the Biryani even more flavorful and added additional dietary fiber and nutrients. Coming to the fish, I usually make this with kingfish steaks only. The reason being that Kingfish steaks don't disintegrate. They hold themselves upon cooking. This time however, I decided to make it healthier by also using Salmon ( Rawas) steaks. Salmon as we all know is extremely nutrient dense. I have broiled the fish instead of searing them in oil. Last but not the least, the biggest change I made to make this Biryani healthy is baking the onion slices in the oven to make them crispy instead of deep frying them!! This was something I have been wanting to experiment with for a long time now. I tried by baking little bit of red onions and little bit of white onions to see which one fairs better. I found that the red onions gave better results. The only oil I used is 1 tsp oil to sauté onions, tomato and the green masala. I also wanted to make this recipe such that it is simple and easy to make. I think I have accomplished that. I have therefore given options to accomplish the different steps in the recipe in a healthy manner.  Please do share your thoughts and opinions.

 

Servings: 6-9 people ( Serving size: 1 small fish steak served with 1 cup biryani rice).

 

Ingredients:

For marination:
Fish steaks:  6-8 small steaks ( if big pieces, use 3-4, about 600 grams). I have used a mix of Kingfish( Surmai) and Salmon( Rawas).
Salt: 1 tsp
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice: from 1 small lemon.

For grinding:
Coriander leaves( cilantro): 1 small bunch, leaves plucked and separated.
Mint leaves: 1/2 cup
Green chillies: 6 medium sized ( you can adjust based on your spice levels).
Ginger: 1 inch piece, chopped
Garlic: 4-6 medium cloves, chopped
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Water : 1 cup

For the curry:
Cooking oil : 1 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped
Tomato: 1 small, chopped
Dill leaves: 1 cup
Cinnamon stick: 1 one inch piece
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Water: 1 cup

For the Biryani rice:
Water: 12 cups
Parboiled basmati rice: 3 cups
Cinnamon stick: 1 one inch piece
Cloves: 3 nos
Cardamom: 3 nos
Bay leaf: 1 medium-sized
Saffron threads: 3-4 nos
Fried ( baked)onions: 1/2 cup, for garnish  ( optional)

 

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice thoroughly, soak it in water for 1 hour. Drain and keep aside.

2. While the basmati rice is being soaked, wash the fish slices, marinate with salt, black pepper and lemon juice for minimum of 15 mins.

3. Preheat the oven at 450 deg F .Slice one large onion thinly. Spread it on a baking sheet and place it in the middle rack of the oven.

Bake for approximately 20 mins or until golden brown, flipping the onions once in between . Do not let them char as the onion will then taste bitter. ( If you do not have an oven, you can skip this step entirely!)

4.Grind together all the ingredients listed under" for grinding" to a smooth paste and keep aside.

5. Arrange the fish in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil the fish 2 mins on each side. Do not cook the fish completely. ( If you do not have the option of broiling you can sear the fish on both sides on a tawa ( skillet/griddle) . Keep aside.

6. Bring 12-15 cups water to a boil. Add to it the soaked and drained basmati rice , salt, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and salt. Cook until the rice is Al-dente, around 10 mins. Turn off the flame, drain the rice completely. Now mix in the saffron threads. Keep aside.

7.In a sauté pan, heat one teaspoon oil. Add chopped onions and sauté until they turn slightly golden.

Add the chopped tomatoes, and sauté until they are wilted. 

Add garam masala powder and sauté for a couple of seconds. Now add the ground paste, dill leaves and let it cook for 2-3 mins.

Add in the grilled fish slices, water and cook until the fish is completely cooked. Turn off the flame.

8. In an earthen pot/ regular pot layer the fish curry and the rice, starting with the fish curry and ending with the rice.

Top it with fried onions( optional) and some sprigs of dill or coriander leaves.

 

9. Cover the pot with a piece of aluminum Foil, sealing the edges. Place the lid of the handi( pot) on top.

10.Now place this handi on a tawa ( griddle) and let it cook for 15 mins on very low flame.

11. Just before serving, mix it gently. The fish pieces may break.

12. Serve hot with raita, onion slices and any other salad of your choice. I have served with cucumber raita , cabbage-red radish slaw and slices of cucumber and onion.

Enjoy.


 

Cooking made easy:

The process of Dum is entirely optional. If you don't want to be bothered, just layer the fish curry an rice , garnish with fried onions, dill/ cilantro and serve hot with raita/ salad of your choice. It will still taste delicious.

The other options of making Dum Biryani is by placing the pot in the oven and baking it for 15-20 mins at 350 deg F.

There is another easy way of doing Dum Biryani. I call it the modern way. Just layer the fish curry and rice in an electric rice cooker, garnish it with fried onions and press " cook" button on the rice cooker. Comes out perfect!

 

Footnotes ( Tip for healthy living):

Now let us look at the health benefits of some of the key ingredients used in this Biryani. First and foremost is parboiled rice. Parboiled rice has a lower GI of 38 compared to white basmati rice which has a GI of 52 and regular white rice has a GI of 89 and therefore prevents blood sugar spikes. Parboiled rice has also been found to have less starch, more fiber, calcium, potassium, Vit B-6 than regular white rice and is gentle on the digestive system. Read the references for further information.

We all know that Salmon is great for our health as it is one of the best sources of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Quite often people with diabetes suffer from other co-morbidities like high blood pressure, heart problems and obesity. Omega-3 fatty acids are supposed to promote better functioning of the cardio-vascular system. You can find more information about all the health benefits of salmon in the references cited below.

Dill is a very potent herb. A little bit goes a long way. It belongs to the same family as parsley, cumin and bay leaf. It is a great source of calcium, manganese, iron and flavonoids known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-viral properties. Dill has strong anti-microbial properties. Dill has been purported to regulate insulin levels in diabetics and also help reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels thereby being heart-healthy too. Dill also is great for digestive issues as it has anti-spasmodic properties. Dill is might help stabilize irregular menstrual cycles and help promote fertility in women. You can read more in references below.



Disclaimer:


I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

 

Go ahead , indulge and celebrate with all these other Biryanis & Pulaos from team DFT!

Sonal: Gobhi Anaar Pulav with Spinach Garlic Raita

Shailja: Shrimp Biryani 

Prachi: Soya Nuggets Garden Biryani

Parvathy: Quinoa Lentil Chicken Biryani

Anupama: Mint Biryani Using Brown Rice

Swati : Kale and Tofu Biryani With Brown Rice

Apsara: Mixed Vegetable Brown Rice Pilaf

Food for thought:

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. Unknown

Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani

It was my husband's birthday this past week. Being that it was a week-day, I didn't make anything elaborate.I made his favorite Hyderabadi dum chicken biryani this weekend!

By any account, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani is the king of all kinds of biryanis! Whoa!! What am I talking about?? Does this sound like jargon?? Okay, let me start at the very beginning, so that I can make this comprehensible to all readers! Biryani is a way of cooking rice with spices and some kind of meat.. Lamb, mutton, chicken. It can also be made using fish or eggs.. There is of course a vegetarian version too.. But that is pretty much like the pulao( pilaf). Now what is the difference between pulao and biryani?? Yes, both are dishes which contain rice mixed with chicken/fish/vegetables. The difference is that in pulao, the rice and the meat/fish/vegetable is cooked together. Whereas in biryani, the rice is pre-cooked until half-done, then layered with meat/chicken/fish which has also been separately cooked until half-done and then the two are arranged in alternate layers; cooked under dum and garnished with fried onions and cashew halves on top. What is dum? Dum is pretty much slow cooking either in the oven or on the stove-top on top of a cast iron pan, without bringing the pot in direct contact with the fire.

Mmmm... My mouth is watering already. Biryani is one of the top dishes offered in India. It is generally made on special celebratory occasions. There are several kinds of Biryani.. Bombay Biryani, Hyderabadi biryani, so on and so forth.. Hyderabadi Biryani is considered top notch and the best tasting.. Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.  This biryani apparently originated in the royal kitchen of the Nizam Shahs  who ruled the region at the time.

Every Indian who likes Biryani prides themselves on making a good one. I have come across several recipes out there that are either too tedious with hundreds of steps to it or it just didn't taste right. Me being me.. I have neither the time nor the patience for long-drawn recipes that take all day to make. Therefore I was thrilled when my dear friend Phani( who is from Andhra Pradesh) shared this quick and easy recipe for Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. I have been making this for a few years now and I must say, it is absolutely fool-proof! I am yet to find a person who didn't like this Biryani! The addition of boiled egg halves before serving is not part of the original recipe.It is my modification as sometimes the Biryani is too spicy for me and this helps cut the spice level.

Whenever I make this Biryani, I make a huge batch in my Dutch oven as my husband looks forward to leftovers. I must say that this is the only non-vegetarian dish whose leftovers he eats!!! I think he secretly looks forward to every time I make this dish!;)

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Basmati rice: 3 cups
Water : 8 cups
Chicken with bones : 2 lbs, cleaned, chopped into medium pieces.
Red Onions: 3 medium, chopped lengthwise.
Cashew halves: 2 tbsp
Sour yogurt: 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Haldi: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Green chillies: 6, chopped fine.
Bay leaves: 2
Cloves:4-6
Cardamom pods: 4-6
Cinnamon stick: 2 nos
Shah jeera: 2 pods
Kalajeera: 1 tsp
Ghee: 2 tbsp ( optional)( you could use just oil instead of ghee)
Coconut oil: 2 tbsp( any cooking oil can be used)
Mint leaves: 1 cup, cleaned
Saffron:3-4 strands
Warm milk: 1 tbsp
Hard boiled eggs: 4, sliced into 2( optional), for garnishing.
Salt: as per taste.

Method:

Marinate the chicken pieces with a little salt, lemon juice, haldi powder, red Chilli powder and keep aside for atleast 30 mins.

Fry sliced onions in ghee-oil mixture until golden and crispy . Drain on paper towels.

Fry cashew halves in the same oil and keep aside.

Now sauté cinnamon, clove, cardamom, bay leaves, kala jeera, shahi jeera in the same oil for 1-2 mins and keep aside.

Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and let it dry for another 30 mins.

Boil water with 1/2 tsp salt . When the water comes to a boil, add the basmati rice. Cook it only until the rice crackles( half-done, takes around 10 minutes). Drain using a colander. Keep aside.

Cook the chicken until half-cooked. Let it cool down.

Once cooled, add to it ginger garlic paste, yogurt, salt, the fried whole spices, half of the fried onions and cashew halves, green chillies, mint leaves. Mix well.

Soak the saffron strands in warm milk for 10 mins. Mix this into the warm rice.

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.

Take the chicken in a oven-safe pot( I use a Dutch oven). Spread it along the entire bottom of the pot. 

Now layer the half-cooked rice on top of this.

Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil.

Close the lid and place it in the oven for 45minutes to 1 hour, checking in between.

When done, garnish with the removing fried onions/ cashew halves and boiled egg halves.

Mix well before serving.

Serve hot with onion raita and/or chopped onions dressed with lemon juice and salt.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday! I know it is a little late in the day to bring it but I am sure the wonder ful and Angie and her co-hosts Jhuls and Margy wouldn't mind and would not want to miss out on this delicious dish!
I am also bringing this to Super simple Tuesdays by Hun whats for dinner?.

Cooking made easy:

If you don't have an oven, you could still make Dum Biryani by heating a cast iron frying pan/griddle on low flame and keeping the pot on top of the pan.

There is an even easier way, but if course is not the authentic Dum Biryani. This is by layering it in the rice cooker and letting it cook there. Though I have never personally used this method, I have seen my friend do it. It comes out perfect!

Tip for healthy living:

For those who are health conscious, most recipes that call for ghee can be substituted with a 50:50 ghee:oil mixture. This way you can enjoy the flavor and aroma of ghee too while being low in calories/fat content.

Food for thought:

The future of the distant and the difficult is deceptive.The great opportunity is where you are.John Burroughs