This delicious Seafood Biriyani hosts a variety of seafood like fish, shrimp, mussels, clams, cuttle fish, squid and octopus. All of these are simmered in a delicious Biriyani gravy and then layered with Basmati rice. It’s sealed tight and then cooked.

So Shrimp or Fish Biriyani is not a new concept. Neither is Seafood Biriyani. However this recipe uses a wide array of delicious creatures of the Sea. This exciting Biriyani is made with Fish, Shrimp, Mussels, Clams, Cuttlefish, Squid & Octopus and is very unique.

Traditional Biriyani is either made with Mutton or Chicken and Shrimp and Fish are newer additions, yet very popular in the states that have access to the sea. As most recipes evolve, I have made some other fusion type biriyanis, check them out below.

Butter Chicken Biriyani

Hariyali Biriyani

Chicken 65 Biriyani

You can also check out my recipe for my homemade Biriyani Masala blend.

Seafood Biriyani

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Seafood I used a combination of fish, shrimp, mussels, clams, cuttle fish, squid and octopus
  • 2 cups sliced Onions
  • 12 Almonds
  • 3 head on Shrimp
  • 6 Mussels – cleaned and immersed in hot water
  • 1 tbsp sliced Chillies
  • 2 tbsps Ginger & Garlic paste
  • 2 cups finely diced Tomatoes
  • 2 tbsps Biriyani Masala + 1 pinch
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
  • 3 cups Basmati Rice soaked, washed & drained
  • 6 cups water
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch saffron in 1/4 cup hot Milk
  • Whole spices – 2 inch stick Cinnamon 2 Bay leaves, 2 Star Anise
  • 5 Cardamoms 2 black Cardamoms & 5 Cloves
  • Optional – 1/4 tsp Egg yellow powder food colouring
  • Coriander for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Clean all the seafood as needed and keep it aside
  • In a saute pot, add some oil and fry the onions
  • Once they are brown, remove half and reserve
  • Keep cooking the rest of the onions and add the almonds, then remove and keep aside
  • While the oil is still hot, just add the head on shrimp and the mussels with a pinch of biriyani masala, remove and keep aside
  • Add the onions that were removed first back into the pot together with the green chillies
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute or so to cook off that raw ginger and garlic flavour
  • Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for 5 – 7 mins
  • Add the biriyani masala, turmeric and stir
  • Add salt to taste, water, cover and cook for a few minutes
  • Nestle in the seafood and cover to cook – stir very gently and cook, remove and keep aside
  • Heat the water and add salt
  • Add the rice into the water and cook for 10 – 15 mins till the rice is almost 3/4 done
  • Add a pinch of saffron to hot milk
  • Drain the rice
  • In a pot add a layer of the seafood curry – I added 3/4 of the seafood mostly the more hardy pieces, and most of the gravy
  • Add 3/4 of the rice, half the saffron milk and follow this with the remaining seafood and gravy
  • Add the remaining rice and the rest of the saffron milk
  • Sprinkle with food colouring
  • Top with fried onions and almonds
  • Nestle in the shrimp and mussels
  • Seal the pot with foil and put the lid on
  • Cook in a preheated oven for 30 – 40 mins
  • Add fresh coriander and serve