The name “Biryani” is said to have been derived from the Persian Language, and History has many great stories to say about its origin. Biriyani is basically a mixed rice dish made of spices, meat n rice, and its different varieties and their roots are spread across the Indian sub-continent. Of the many stories behind it’s entry to India, the one I loved the most was of the Great Shah Jahan’s (who built Taj Mahal) wife Queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is said that when she visited the army camps, seeing the soldiers’ weak and under nourished, she ordered the chef to make a dish with all the goodness combining rice and meat, and feed them; and hence biriyani originated and became popular in India…

There are different varieties of biriyani across the various parts of India; however the Nizam’s variation of Hyderbadi Biriyani is the most popular.

A zillion ingredients go into the making of a biriyani, and when mixed all together and cooked, you create a flavour packed pot which is divine. Traditionally biriyani is prepared as “dum” which means slow cooked in a clay pot with heat from burning charcoal. The mouth of the clay pot is sealed with a dough paste made of flour, and the rice and meat is cooked with aromatic spices and herbs until the meat turns tender making it a royal treat.

Biriyani is prepared using aromatic long grained Basmati Rice to Khaima/Jeerakasala rice, depending upon the region of its preparation in India. Spices, curry powders, fresh herbs like cilantro and mint leaves, are used generously in the preparation. Cashews and sultana raisins sautéed in ghee/clarified butter is added during layering which gives the sweetness and richness to the meal. And topping with saffron makes the dish exquisite.

Usually biriyani is prepared as a one pot meal, but in this recipe I have cooked prawns and rice separately and later layered it in a pot. Though the many ingredients involved might seem overwhelming, mastering the art of cooking biriyani is actually simple and involves a few fine steps including layering the dish properly.

Also, Don’t forget to check out my Lemon Dates Pickle, which is a great side dish with biriyani !!!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

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Prawn Biriyani

Rice, Prawns & Exotic Spices… layered with Caramelized Onions, Saffron and Fresh Herbs... Mouth Watering and Delicious! An Indian Delicacy - Biriyani…!!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword biriyani, indian food, prawn biriyani

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For marinating Prawns

• 2 cups prawns
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp garam masala

For preparing Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp butter/ghee
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 cardamoms
• 4 pepper corns
• 3 cloves
• 1 star anise
• Salt (as required)

For preparing Prawn Masala

• 2 medium onions (sliced)
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 green chilies
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• ¼ tsp pepper powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Mint & cilantro leaves (chopped)
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

For Garnish

• 1 tbsp butter/ghee
• ½ cup cashews and raisins
• 1 medium sized onion (sliced)
• a pinch of Saffron
• 3 tbsp milk
• Mint & cilantro leaves (chopped)

Instructions

For marinating Prawns

• Clean, peel and devein prawns.
• Mix the ingredients of the marinade properly, add salt as needed.
• Marinate the cleaned prawns and keep aside for 30 mins.

For Preparing Rice

• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes and drain the water completely.
• Heat ghee in a skillet; add cardamoms, cinnamon, clove, star anise, pepper corns, bay leaf, and saute until fragrant.
• Add the drained rice with a little salt and stir continuously for 2 minutes. When the rice starts crackling, pour water, lemon juice and cook till water is completely absorbed. Fluff it up using a fork and keep it aside.

For preparing Prawn Masala

• Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry the marinated prawns on both sides. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• Into the same pan, add sliced onions, saute until they are translucent.
• In the meantime, grind ginger, garlic and green chilies to a thick paste.
• Add the green paste to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped tomato and place the lid, cook for 2 minutes until it turns mushy.
• Add pepper powder, chili powder and garam masala, stir well. Followed by adding chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
• Add whisked yogurt, prawns, and mix well with the masala, check for seasonings.
• Prawn masala is ready.

Layering and Garnsih

• Heat ghee/butter in a pan. Fry the sliced onions until they are golden brown. Keep it aside.
• Into the same pan, fry cashews and raisins until they are golden. Keep aside.
• Warm milk in a small bowl and mix the saffron strands, allow it to stand for 2 minutes.
• For layering, into a heavy bottomed pan add a half of all the prepared ingredients as detailed below. The remaining half is to be repeated later as instructed.
• Start with spreading the prepared masala first, evenly covering the bottom of the pan.
• Follow by spreading rice on top of it. Sprinkle cashews, raisins, fried onions, saffron milk, and cilantro mint leaves.
• Repeat the process of steps 5 & 6 with the second half of the ingredients.
• Cover the pan with the lid and cook the biriyani on low flame for 10 minutes.
• Serve warm with pappad, salad and pickles.

Notes

• Coconut oil can be used as a replacement for ghee/butter.
• You can vary the amount of chili and pepper powders to suit your spice level.
• The garam masala I have used in my recipe has been bought from an Indian store (Sakthi garam masala). You can also use a homemade masala which is preferable.

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