Spinach Coconut Rice ~ One pot variety rice/ Lunch-box meal

Planning a lunch box meal is a great challenge to most of us, its easy to get stuck with ideas and get bored preparing the same old recipes over and over again. We always make sure that lunch is full packed meal since breakfast in our house-hold does not happen regularly and adding to this the climate at times is chill doesn't make us hungry. 

Easy Fish Briyani

Last night, i was pondering what to do for lunch the next day... this happens almost every other night, just that someday's I get to realise that I have to cook only the previous night when I get to bed. Does this happen to you? There was once in Chennai where I had was surprised to see fish briyani in a restaurant in Adyar, I don't even remember the name. I wanted to try it, hence ordered it and it tasted so yum, ever since that I always wanted to try Fish Briyani at home and after like 3 years I took a chance and tried it on my own, I did not follow any recipe and it turned out great. I am not bragging about my cooking but give it a go and let me know if you feel the same.

Prep & Cooking Time ~ 25 minutes
Serves ~ 2
Recipe Source ~ own


Ingredients 


For Briyani ~
Onion - 1 large thinly sliced
Tomato - 1 large thinly sliced
Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2-2.5 cups rice (go by your usual method)
Fish - 400 gms (any white fish, preferably boneless & skinless)
bay leaf - 1
Whole jeera - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2
Elaichi - 2
Star Anise - 1
Cinnomon - 1/2 inch stick
Giner-garlic paste - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/3 tsp
Pepper Powder (black) - 1/3 tsp
Garam Masaala - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Oil/ ghee - 3 spoons
Salt - as per taste


For Curd/ Yogurt Pachadi ~
Curd or yogurt - 1/2-1 cup
Onion - 1 medium thinly sliced
Corriander leaves - finely chopped
Salt - as per taste


Method 


For Briyani 

• Wash the basmathi rice in cold water twice and sock in cold water and clean the fish 
• In a pressure cooker/ heavy bottom vessel, heat oil/ghee and fry the whole spices one by one - bay leaf, cinnamon stick, elaichi, star anise, cloves and jeera
• Add the onions and give it a give toss and wait until it turns brown
• to this add the ginger garlic paste and tomato and let it cook for 2 minutes until the oil separates
• add all the masala powders ans mix well, if you find the mixture getting dry add little water and add the fish (i used fish fillets-palm sized, i did not cut them into pieces), let them cook for 4 minutes until well cooked and mix them well, now you will find the fish getting separated naturally
• add the basmathi rice, discarding the water in which it was soaked and add salt and necessary water for cooking
• taste the water to check for spice and salt
• close the lid and add the weigh, let it cook for 3-4 whistles or approximately 10 minutes in medium flame
• Once done off the stove and let it simmer for another 5 minutes 
• Serve alone with curd/yogurt chutney

For Chutney

• In a bowl mix the yogurt/curd so that there are no lumps
• Add the onions and corriander and mix well
• Add salt as per taste