SEAFOOD BALCHAO BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS
300 g basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes), 100 g squid, 50 g crab meat, 100 g kingfish, 50 g prawns, 3 onions, half -chopped and half sliced, 20 g ginger, chopped and a few cut into juliennes, 20 g garlic, chopped, 6-7 curry leaves, 2 green chillies, 40 g fried onions, 10 g fresh coriander, 200 ml oil, 1 tsp desi ghee, a pinch of green cardamom powder, 2 ml rose water

For the balchao masala
20 Kashmiri chillies, 20 g ginger, 20 g garlic, 10 g cumin seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp turmeric powder, a small piece of seedless tamarind, 200 ml vinegar

METHOD
• Cook the soaked rice in a handi and keep it aside.
• Clean the seafood (squid, crab meat, king fish and prawns) and wash thoroughly in running water.
• Heat oil in a pan and lightly sauté the seafood. Then add the chopped onions, chopped ginger and half of the garlic and keep the sautéed seafood aside.
• To prepare the balchao masala, de-seed the Kashmiri chillies and boil them in water along with vinegar.
• Now strain the excess water and put the chillies in a bowl.
• Mix in the remaining ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Keep the balchao masala paste aside.
• Now in another pan, heat oil and add the curry leaves. Mix in the green chillies, ginger juliennes and the remaining garlic.
• Add the remaining sliced onions and lightly sauté the mixture.
• When the onions turn light brown in colour, add the balchao paste and let it cook for a while.
• When the masala starts leaving the sides of the pan, add the sautéed seafood.
• Add salt and check the seasoning. Your seafood balchao is ready.
• Now in a separate handi, add a layer of cooked rice, topped with a portion of the seafood balchao.
• Mix in some sliced fried onions and chopped coriander leaves.
• Repeat the layer of rice and seafood balchao masala two times.
• Finally top it up with the remaining sliced fried onions, desi ghee and a pinch of cardamom and rose water.
• Put a tight lid on top of the handi and cook the rice on dum for 20 minutes.
• When done, remove from heat garnish with coriander and serve hot.