Kerala Style Fish Biriyani

Kerala Style Fish Biryani is one of the best dishes to showcase Kerala’s rich flavors to the world. The recipe combines fried fish with a spicy masala gravy layered with aromatic rice. The dish is a true masterpiece in presentation, aroma, and taste.

Check out the ingredients and follow the step-by-step instructions below to prepare this dish at home. You’ll also find helpful tips, serving suggestions, and storage notes.

What is Kerala-style fish Biryani?

Kerala Style Fish Biryani is a dish of marinated fish layered with spiced jeerakasala rice. It’s slow-cooked using the dum method, mixing rich flavors for a full taste. The fish and rice cook together to blend the spices well.

The process begins with marinating the fish. It’s layered with jeerakasala rice, smaller and tastier than basmati rice. The dum cooking keeps the flavors in as it cooks slowly.

When the dum is opened, you smell the spices. The rice and fish have bright colors. Each bite mixes the taste of fish, rice, and spices evenly.

For those who enjoy biriyani, our Kerala Style Beef Biryani, recipe is a must-try. It’s packed with bold flavors.

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

Once you open the dum, the aroma of the biryani spreads radiates. The presentation with different colors captivates your senses the moment you serve it. Then, the blend of flavors comes together perfectly. It's rich in every aspect.

The steps may be a bit long, but not overwhelming. And the result is worth every effort. For more rich and flavorful Kerala non-vegetarian delights, browse our Kerala Non-Veg Recipes.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Fish: I use Pomfret, which turns out awesome. Always choose fleshy fish like pomfret, seer fish, or kingfish. You can also try salmon. Avoid fish with too many bones, as they may mix into the rice and be dangerous while eating.
2. Jeerakasala Rice: This is a small, aromatic rice variety used in Kerala biryani, different from the long-grain basmati rice used in North Indian cuisine. You can replace it with basmati rice, but it’s not recommended as it changes the aroma and texture of the dish.
3. Ghee: Purified ghee is an inseparable part of biryani. A major portion of its aroma comes from ghee. 
4. Spices: Kerala spices enhance the flavor of the biryani, used in both powdered and whole forms. The powdered spices include chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, and coriander powder, while the whole spices consist of fennel seeds, cinnamon, star anise (thakolam), cloves, cardamom seeds, and bay leaves. If you're a spice and fish lover, then be sure to try our Authentic Kerala Style Fish Curry recipe for an unforgettable taste experience!

Check out the Recipe Card below for the complete ingredient list along with their nutritional details.

Variations to Try

Kerala  Biryani can be customized with various meat options, including beef, chicken, mutton, or pork. Among these, Kerala Style Chicken Biryani is the most popular.

 For fish biryani, choose fleshy, boneless fish like pomfret, seer fish, kingfish, or salmon. Avoid fish that may break apart during cooking or have too many bones, as this can pose safety concerns. 

For vegetarians, meat can be substituted with potatoes, carrots, peas, and other vegetables to create a delightful vegetable biryani.

How To Make Kerala-Style Fish Biryani? (Step-by-Step Guide)

1. Grind ginger and garlic. Marinate cleaned fish with the ingredients listed under marination - chili powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. I used Pomfret, which turned out awesome. You can also try seer fish or kingfish.
2. Heat coconut oil in a flat pan. Shallow-fry the fish pieces for 2 minutes on both sides in a medium flame.
3. Fry fish in batches.
4. Prepare masala - Thinly slice onions. Soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan. Use a flat-surfaced pan so that it is easy to add and mix fish pieces towards the end.

5. Saute these onions well until golden brown. Sweating them with salt early on helps caramelize faster.
6. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli. Add it to the above pan and saute well. Add ghee as needed.
7. Add garam masala and saute for a minute. Add sliced tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are done.
8. Mix the curd/yogurt and cook for 2 -3 minutes.

9. Saute the grated coconut until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
10. Grind the coconut and cashews (previously soaked), with some water and make it a good paste. This mix is also used in Kerala Style Fish Stew for a creamy texture.
11. Add coconut cashew mix and mix it with the masala. Chop mint and coriander leaves. Mix it with the masala. Add ½ cup water, mix well, and add salt as required.
12. Then add fried fish. Make sure that the fish is covered in the gravy.

13. Cook for around 10 minutes or until the fish is done.
14. For rice preparation - Clean rice. Heat ghee in the pan/cooker. Fry aniseeds.
15. Fry cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom seeds, curry leaves, cloves, and star anise.
16. Once it is sauteed well, add rice. Sauté it till the rice is crispy. Add ghee if needed.

17. Add 4 cups water and lemon juice to it with enough salt. Cover and cook until rice is done. Don't pressure cook. It takes 15 - 20 minutes. A detailed guide is available in our Kerala Ghee Rice Recipe.
18. For garnish - Thinly slice onions and deep fry it in ghee. Sprinkle salt and a bit of sugar. Roast cashews and raisins in ghee.
19. ** Never miss this step in the preparation of Kerala-style fish Biryani. Layer and cook - You can either layer the biryani and bake it in the oven or you can cook it on the stove top. I have tried both. Preheat the oven to 350F. Layer a pan with alternating layers of rice and the fish masala. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, 1 teaspoon of ghee, fried onions, cashews,, and raisins at every layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Without aluminum foil, rice gets dried up easily.
20. If you want to cook on the stove top, layer the biryani in a cooker or pan. Cover it with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. This helps the rice and biryani masala blend well. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips And Tricks

1. Masala Preparation: Instead of using ghee, I used the leftover oil from frying the fish to prepare the masala. This added extra flavor and worked perfectly.
2. Dum Without an Oven: If you don’t have an oven, you can dum cook the biryani on the stove using a thick-bottomed vessel. Layer the ingredients and seal the top with aluminum foil or a dough mixture (maida and water) around the lid to prevent steam from escaping.
3. Alternative to Spices: If you’re missing some spices, you can use ready-made fish biryani powder as a substitute.

Serving Suggestions

Accompaniments like raitha (a yogurt-based side dish), pickles (achar), and crispy lentil wafers (pappadam) are traditional favorites. For an enhanced experience, pair it with Kerala Style Fish Fry. In some parts of Kerala, biryani is also served with thick coconut chutney, cilantro chutney, or tomato chutney to add extra flavor to the dish.

Storage Instructions

Kerala Style Fish Biriyani is best enjoyed fresh and steaming hot for the ultimate flavor experience. If storing, refrigerate in a clean, dry, airtight container for next-day use, or freeze for longer storage.

For the best reheating results, steaming in a steamer is preferred over microwaving, as it helps retain the biryani’s texture, moisture, and flavor. 

However, a better approach to storing and reusing biryani is to freeze the masala separately without adding rice and fish. The marinated fish can also be stored in the freezer. 
When needed, simply fry the fish, reheat the masala, and prepare fresh ghee rice. Layer everything and allow the biryani to dum cook for a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

More Kerala Style Biriyani Recipes To Try

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below. Don’t forget to share your photos on Instagram and tag @a_little_bit_of_spice

Fish Biriyani (Kerala Style)

Jane Jojo

An Indian one pot meal. Fish marinated, fried, cooked in spicy masala gravy and then layered with rice. A really delicious one 🙂 I used pomfret which turned out awesome. You can also try seer fish or king fish.

3.25 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine kerala

Servings 4 serving

Calories 755 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ kg fish

Marination

• ▢ 1 tsps chilli powder
• ▢ 1 ½ tsps pepper powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ tablespoon ginger (crushed)
• ▢ ½ tablespoon garlic (crushed)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Masala

• ▢ 2 tbsps ghee
• ▢ 2 numbers onion (medium)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger (crushed)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic (crushed)
• ▢ 5 Chilly green
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 2 tomato (medium)
• ▢ 2 tbsps curd
• ▢ 2 tbsps coconut grated
• ▢ 2 tbsps cashew
• ▢ ½ bunch coriander leaves
• ▢ ½ bunch mint leaves
• ▢ salt

Rice

• ▢ 3 tbsps ghee
• ▢ 2 cups basmati rice Jeerakasamba/Biriyani/
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Ani seed
• ▢ 3 cinnamon (1" stick)
• ▢ 1 Star Anise (thakolam)
• ▢ 4 Cloves
• ▢ 3 Cardamom Seeds
• ▢ 2 Bay Leaf
• ▢ 1 sprig curry leaves
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 1 lemon juice salt
• ▢ salt

Garnish

• ▢ ghee
• ▢ 2 tbsps cashew nut
• ▢ 1 tablespoon raisin
• ▢ 1 number onion (medium)

Layering

• ▢ coriander leaves
• ▢ mint leaves

Instructions

 

• Grind ginger and garlic. Marinate cleaned fish with the ingredients listed under marination - chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. I used pomfret, which turned out awesome. You can also try seer fish or kingfish.
• Heat oil in a flat pan. Shallow fry the fish pieces for 2 minutes each on both sides at medium flame.
• Fry fish in batches.
• Prepare masala - Thinly slice onions. Soak cashew in hot water for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan. Use a flat surfaced pan so that it would be easy to add and mix fish pieces towards the end.
• Saute these onions well until golden brown. Adding salt, helps the onion to get cooked fast.
• Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli. Add it to the above pan and saute well. Add ghee as needed.
• Add garam masala and saute for a minute. Add sliced tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are done.
• Mix the curd and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
• Saute the grated coconut until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
• Grind the coconut and cashews (previously soaked), with some water and make it a good paste.
• Add coconut cashew mix and mix it with the masala.
• Chop mint and coriander leaves. Mix it with the masala. Add ½ cup water, mix well and add salt as required.
• Then add fried fish. Make sure that fish is covered in the gravy.
• Cook it for around 10 minutes or until fish is done.
• For rice preparation - Clean rice. Heat ghee in the pan / cooker. Fry aniseeds.
• Fry cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom seeds, curry leaves, cloves, star anise.
• Once it is sauted well, add rice. Saute it till rice is crispy. Add ghee if needed.
• Add 4 cups water and lemon juice to it with enough salt. Cover and cook until rice is done. Don't pressure cook. It would approximately take 15 - 20 minutes.
• For garnish - Thinly slice onions and deep fry it in ghee. Sprinkle salt and bit sugar. Roast cashews and raisins in ghee.
• ** Never miss this step. Layer and cook - You can either layer the biriyani and bake in the oven or you can cook on stovetop. I have tried both. Preheat the oven at 350F. Layer a pan with alternating layers of rice and the fish masala. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, 1 teaspoon ghee, fried onions, cashews and raisins at every layer. Cover the pan with aluminium foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Without aluminium foil, rice gets dried up easily.
• If you wanna cook on stovetop, layer the biriyani in a cooker or in a pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.  Rice and biriyani masala gets blended well with this. You need not add water since biriyani masala has good gravy content.

Notes

1. Masala Preparation: Instead of using ghee, I used the leftover oil from frying the fish to prepare the masala. This added extra flavor and worked perfectly.
2. Dum Without an Oven: If you don’t have an oven, you can dum cook the biryani on the stove using a thick-bottomed vessel. Layer the ingredients and seal the top with aluminum foil or a dough mixture (maida and water) around the lid to prevent steam from escaping.
3. Alternative to Spices: If you’re missing some spices, you can use ready-made fish biryani powder as a substitute.

Nutrition

Serving: 454gCalories: 755kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 36gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 391mgPotassium: 821mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 690IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 3mg

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