Clam /Tisre Biryani - Karwar Special

Clams are the fresh water seashells which are very popular in Karwar city, South Karnataka. Clams are known as tisre in Karwari language. People over there  make variety of dishes of clams like tisre sukka,  tisre ambta, tisre biryani, tisre fry etc. Today I will be posting the recipe for tisre biryani.
There are two types of clams available. White clams are called as tisre (in Karwari language) and black ones are called as kondi (in Karwari language).  White clams are more tastier than black clams . So the biryani are usually prepared using white clams. 
This biryani is very simple to prepare unlike the other biryanis. Some people make the clam biryani using half shelled clams and some people opt to use only meat from the shells to make the biryani.
This step is left to you, how you want to keep the meat in the biryani. Both will have the same taste, there will be no issue with the taste of the biryani. So lets start the recipe.


INGREDIENTS

• White Clams/Tisre - 25 nos
• Rice - 1&1/2 cups (I used sona masoori)
• Onion - 1 big, chopped
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

To make the paste

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Green chillies - 3
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Garlic - 4 pods
• Cilantro - 1/4 cup
• Mint - 10 leaves

To temper

• Cloves -3
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch stick
• Bay leaves - 2 small
• Oil - 2 tbsp

PREPARATION

• Chop the onion and tomato. Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.
• Grind the ingredients to smooth paste.
• Wash the clams thoroughly in water atleast for 2 to 3 times. Sometimes there will be lots of sand rolled over the clams, we need to remove it. If needed use some scrapper to clean the shells of the clams.
• Then unseal their opening in between by cutting them using knife sitter (adhali in karwari language) or by knife.
• Keep the shell which has the flesh and discard the empty half shell. Or you can take out the meat from the shell to use it in biryani. Any one of the way you can choice.
• In my preparation, I have used the flesh along with the shell in the biryani. 
• Now you need to wash it another time. If in case any sand is remained in the meat, you need to clean them.
• Heat oil in the pot and add  cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Fry for few seconds.
• Then add chopped onion. Saute till the onion changes the colour.
• Then add clam meat, turmeric powder and salt. Mix everything well.
• Then add chopped tomato, grounded masala and red chilly powder. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
• Parallely boil 3&1/2 cups of water. We need to use it in biryani.
• After 3 minutes. Check the clams and stir it one more time.
• Now add soaked and drained rice and mix well.
• Add hot water. Mix well and add garam masala powder and salt if required.
• Cover the pot with the lid and cook the biryani on medium flame.
• When you see the water has been soaked by rice, turn the flame to low mode. Cook the biryani on low flame until the rice are completely cooked. Clams do not need any extra cooking. It cooks very fast.
• Clam Biryani is ready to serve.