Celebrate Durga Puja with a delicious Maha Saptami Special Thali featuring fragrant Ilish Biryani, sweet and tangy tomato-khejur chutney, refreshing mint-coriander raita, and sweets. This Bengali festive recipe combines the distinctive flavour of hilsa fish with aromatic basmati rice and carefully selected spices.
If you want to prepare something special for your Durga Puja lunch, this Ilish Biryani recipe is a wonderful choice. Follow the step-by-step method to prepare the rice, hilsa fish, biryani gravy, side dishes, and final dum cooking at home.
Ingredients for Ilish Biryani
For the Rice
- 700 g basmati rice
- Approximately 3.5 litres of water
- 2 tbsp salt
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Green cardamom
- Bay leaves
For the Hilsa Fish
- 5 pieces of hilsa fish
- Salt, to taste
- Turmeric powder
- Kashmiri red chilli powder
- A little mustard oil
For the Potatoes and Beresta
- Potatoes, quantity as required
- Salt and turmeric powder, for the potatoes
- 5 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
- Oil for frying
For the Biryani Gravy
- 2 tbsp green chilli paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- ½ cup sour yogurt
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- Approximately 2 cups hot water
- Salt, to taste
- A little sugar
- Half of the prepared beresta
For the Biryani Layering
- Cooked basmati rice
- Prepared hilsa fish and potato gravy
- Remaining beresta
- 1 cup warm milk infused with saffron
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp kewra water
- 1–2 tbsp ghee
- A little fish-frying oil
- Homemade garam masala powder
- A few slit green chillies
- A little milk powder
Ingredients for Mint-Coriander Raita
- Approximately ½ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- 1 green chilli
- Cold water or ice, as needed
- Sour yogurt
- 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- A little black salt
- Chopped cucumber
- Roasted cumin powder
Ingredients for Tomato-Khejur Chutney
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Dates
- Alu bukhara (dried plum)
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- Panch phoron
- Dried red chilli
- A little turmeric powder
- Salt, to taste
- Approximately ½ cup sugar
How to Make Maha Saptami Special Ilish Biryani
Step 1: Wash and Soak the Rice
Wash the basmati rice three to four times and soak it for approximately 30 minutes. This helps prepare the rice for the partially cooked, fluffy texture needed for biryani.
Step 2: Prepare the Mint-Coriander Raita
Blend the mint leaves, coriander leaves, and green chilli with cold water or a little ice. Add sour yogurt, sugar, salt, and black salt, then mix well. Add chopped cucumber and roasted cumin powder. Refrigerate the raita and serve it chilled.
Step 3: Prepare the Tomato-Khejur Chutney
Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add panch phoron and dried red chilli. Once aromatic, add the chopped tomatoes, dates, and alu bukhara. Add turmeric and salt, mix well, and cover until the tomatoes soften. Add approximately half a cup of sugar and cook until the chutney is ready.
Step 4: Cook the Basmati Rice to 70%
Bring approximately 3.5 litres of water to a boil with cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, bay leaves, and salt. Add the soaked rice and cook until it is about 70% done. Drain the water and set the rice aside. Do not cook the rice completely, as it will finish cooking during the dum process.
Step 5: Marinate and Fry the Hilsa
Coat the five hilsa pieces with salt, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and a little mustard oil. Leave them for approximately two minutes. Heat oil and fry the fish over medium-high heat until lightly reddish and sufficiently firm to handle. Carefully remove the pieces to prevent them from breaking.
Step 6: Fry the Potatoes and Onions
Coat the potatoes with salt and turmeric, then fry them until lightly reddish and partially cooked. In the same oil used for frying the fish, fry the thinly sliced onions over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until golden and crisp. This fried onion mixture is the beresta. Remove the excess oil and set the beresta aside.
Step 7: Prepare the Biryani Gravy
In the remaining oil, add the green chilli paste and cook until its raw smell disappears. Add the garlic paste and cook briefly.
Mix the sour yogurt with Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Lower the heat and add this mixture to the pan. Cook gently until the gravy releases oil at the sides.
Step 8: Cook the Potatoes and Fish in the Gravy
Add the fried potatoes and coat them with the gravy. Pour in approximately two cups of hot water. Add salt and a little sugar, then mix in half of the beresta. Cover and cook for around 5–7 minutes, until the potatoes are about 90% cooked.
Carefully add the fried hilsa pieces. Cover and cook for another 3–4 minutes so the fish flavour blends into the gravy without breaking the pieces.
Step 9: Add Saffron Milk and Aromatics
Add one cup of warm milk infused with saffron. Cover and let it cook for around 10 minutes, following the method in the video. Add rose water and kewra water.
This recipe deliberately avoids packaged biryani masala so that the natural flavour and aroma of hilsa remain prominent.
Step 10: Layer the Biryani
Grease a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a little ghee. Spread half of the partially cooked rice at the bottom. Arrange the potatoes and hilsa pieces with their gravy in the middle layer.
Cover with the remaining rice. Add the rest of the beresta, saffron-infused milk, a little milk powder, 1–2 tablespoons of ghee, some of the fish-frying oil, homemade garam masala powder, and slit green chillies.
Step 11: Cook on Dum
Close the pot tightly. Heat a tawa or flat griddle on the stove and place the biryani pot on top. Cook over high heat for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the flame to low and cook for another 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the biryani to rest for five minutes before opening the lid.
Your fragrant Ilish Biryani is now ready to serve.
How to Serve the Maha Saptami Special Thali
Serve the hot Ilish Biryani with chilled mint-coriander raita, sweet and tangy tomato-khejur chutney, tomato, and sweets. The fluffy basmati rice, aromatic hilsa, fried onions, and festive side dishes make this a special Durga Puja meal.
Tips for Better Ilish Biryani
- Cook the rice only to about 70% before layering.
- Fry the hilsa carefully so the pieces stay intact.
- Cook the yogurt-based gravy over low heat to help prevent curdling.
- Use saffron milk, rose water, kewra water, and homemade garam masala for fragrance without overpowering the fish.
- Avoid excessive stirring after layering to keep the fish pieces whole.
- Let the biryani rest for five minutes after dum cooking before serving.
Enjoy Durga Puja with BengaliPaakshala
This Maha Saptami Special Ilish Biryani Thali brings together Bengali festive flavours in one memorable meal. Try this recipe at home and share it with your family during Durga Puja.
For more Bengali recipes, festive thali ideas, and traditional cooking inspiration, follow and subscribe to BengaliPaakshala.
