Prawns Biryani - Feb 2012

Step2

Step-3

Step-4

 Prawns post step-4

Step 5

Ready to serve

Serving : 4 persons

Ingredients
500 gms best basmati rice
500 gms large/medium prawns

To marinate prawns: 1 cup yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2.5 tbsps ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste

To fry: 4 large onions sliced thinly (divided into 3 equal portions)
3 large tomatoes chopped finely

For dry masala:
4 tbsp coriander seeds/1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp saunf
2" piece of cinnamon
5 cloves
5 pods green cardamom
10-12 black peppercorns
2 dry red chillies

For wet masala:
2 green chillies
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

To garnish:
3-4 tbsps fresh chopped coriander
4-5 tbsps cooking oil/butter

Preparation:

Step1:
Marinate the prawns in the ingredients mentioned under "To marinate prawns".

Step2:
Heat a griddle or flat pan on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients mentioned under "For dry masala/ spice mix" till they start to become slightly darker and give off a faint aroma.Peel the cardamom pods and remove seeds. Throw skins away. Now grind all the roasted ingredients to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.

Step3:
Now boil water, add 1 tsp of the whole garam masala, bay leaf,1 badi elaichi in it.
Now mix well and after two minutes add the soaked rice to it.
Cook the rice until 3/4 th is done, drain and keep it aside. Mix two tsp of butter in rice softly, taking care the rice is not broken.
Grind the ingredients mentioned under "For wet masala", to a smooth paste in a food processor.

Step4:
Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan till hot and then fry 1 of the 3 portions of sliced onions till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
In the same oil, add the remaining sliced onions and fry till soft. Now add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
Add all the dry and wet masala ingredients prepared earlier and fry till the oil begins to separate from the whole mix.
Now add the prawns and all the marinade to this spice mix. Stir and allow to cook till the prawns are done. Do not overcook as the prawns will get rubbery in texture. Season with salt if required. Remove from fire.

Step5:
Take another vessel with flat base and grease with some oil.
Place alternate layers of prawn and rice, starting with rice.(Rice-prawn-rice-prawn-rice),sprinkle garam masala powder and melted butter in between the layers and on the top.
Carefully end it with mixture of fried onion and coriander leaves on top.
Cover and seal it with an iron tawa and over it another vessel filled with water to keep pressure.
Cook it further on low flame for 30 min. However keep checking in between after 20 min ,if rice is cooked.

Prawns Biryani is ready to serve.