Marinate properly cleaned squid with 1/4th of the ginger garlic paste, salt and turmeric powder, for about 15 mins.

Deep fry the marinated squid in oil, and keep aside.

For the biriyani gravy, heat 2 tablespoon of vanaspati + 4 tablespoon of coconut oil in a a large non-stick pan.Saute finely chopped onions, till they turn translucent.

Now add tomatos, and saute till they are mixed well with the onions.Add ginger-garlic-green chillis paste, and saute till the raw smell goes off. Also, add garam masala, curd, coriander and mint leaves, and salt, and mix well.

Finally add the fried squid pieces to the mixture, to form the appetising biriyani gravy.

For rice, heat 2 table spoon of vanspati+2 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large pan.Once the oil is hot enough, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to it, and saute until the aroma of the spices start coming out.

If required you can add a handful of chopped onions to this and saute.Now, add the washed(and soaked) basmati rice, and fry it for about 5mins.Once the rice is well coated with oil, add a glass of water, lemon juice(optional), and salt to it, and cook the rice.

If you are using a pressure cooker one whistle will do for the rice to get evenly cooked(on high flame). Otherwise, cook the rice on high flame first with lid open,Once the water level goes below the rice, switch to low flame, and cook the rice with the lid covered.

For layering, take a large vessel, and apply some ghee or oil on the base.Layer the bottom of the vessel with half of the rice, and put the squid masala over this. And above the masala, put the rest of the rice, and press the entire mixture and make the surface even.

Now cover the vessel tightly, place a weight over it, and heat the biriyani on a very low flame for 15-20 mins.

For serving, garnish the biriyani with fried onions, cashews and raisins. Enjoy with Coconut chammanthi, or cucumber raita!!