1. | To make fish: Mix chilli and turmeric powders and 1½ teaspoon salt. Rub all over fish. Cover and marinate for ½ hour. |
2. | To make rice: Put 1 tablespoon + 2½ teaspoons salt and 8 1/3 cups water in the Bowl. Bring to boil on high heat. Add rice. Stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook till rice is half cooked (about 8 minutes). Drain rice in a colander. Wash and dry the Bowl. |
3. | To make gravy: Grind into a paste green chillies, garlic, ginger and poppy seeds with 3 tablespoons of water in which poppy seeds were soaked. |
4. | Heat oil in the Bowl on medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add 4 fish steaks. Reduce heat to medium. Fry on both sides till light golden (about 3 minutes on each side). Remove. Fry remaining steaks in the same way except do not add oil. |
5. | Add half onions to oil remaining in the Bowl. Fry till golden brown (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove and reserve. Fry remaining onions in the same way except do not remove from the Bowl. |
6. | Add green chilli paste, curd, mint and coriander leaves, chilli, coriander and garam masala powders, remaining salt (1 teaspoon), lemon juice and remaining water (1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons). Stir. Cook for 1 minute. |
7. | Add fish. Cover. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove and reserve fish. Remove and reserve gravy. Wash and dry the Bowl. |
8. | To make biryani: Spread 2 teaspoons ghee evenly all over inside of the Bowl. Add 4 fish steaks in a single layer. Spread gravy evenly over fish. Arrange half the rice evenly over gravy. Sprinkle half the reserved onions. Add remaining fish. Spread remaining rice. Sprinkle remaining onions. Dribble saffron-water mixture. |
9. | In a small pan, heat remaining ghee (1/3 cup) on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds. Pour over biryani in the Bowl. |
10. | Cover. Cook on very low heat till rice is cooked (about 35 minutes). Serve hot. |