Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
- 60ml sunflower oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 10ml coarse salt
- 20ml crushed ginger and garlic
- 40ml red chilli powder
- 4 large over-ripe blanched and chopped tomatoes or 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 10ml ground cumin
- 10ml ground coriander
- 5ml garam masala
- 2,5ml turmeric
- 125ml fresh cream
- 4 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1,5kg fresh hake steaks
- 3 potatoes, peeled sliced and fried
- 400g tinned lentils, drained
- 4 cups cooked basmati rice (measured after cooking)
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced and fried until golden
- 60g butter 125ml boiled water
- 5ml egg yellow
- 6 – 8 hard boiled eggs
- 30ml Magic Masala, optional or 5ml fragrant garam masala
- Fresh coriander, to garnish
Method
- Heat the sunflower oil in a 30cm AMC pot. Fry the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add the chopped onion and salt. Saute until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the crushed ginger and garlic. Fry for a few seconds until the moisture evaporates, then add the red chilli powder. Heat the chilli through for 3 seconds, taking care not to burn the spices.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and the ground cumin, coriander, garam masala and turmeric. Simmer the tomatoes using the back of a wooden spoon to break down the lumps.
- Stir in the fresh cream and add the curry leaves.
- Add the hake and spoon the sauce over the steaks to cook.
- Place a layer of par cooked fried potatoes over the fish, then add half the drained lentils.
- Layer the basmati rice over the lentils – the rice must be cold to prevent it from becoming sticky.
- Sprinkle the remaining lentils over the rice and top with crispy fried brown onion.
- Dot the rice with butter and pour over the boiled water.
- Drop the egg yellow over the rice and arrange the sliced boiled eggs on top.
- Sprinkle with the Magic Masala or an extra teaspoon of garam masala.
- Reduce the heat and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.
- Steam the breyani on a low heat for 10 – 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the steaks.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.