Name: Prawn (Shrimp) Biryani
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Indian & Pakistani (coastal)
Ingredients: 600 g prawns, peeled and deveined; 3 onions, sliced; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 200 g (¾ cup) yoghurt; 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste; 3 green chillies; 120 ml (½ cup) oil; 1 tbsp red chilli powder; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tbsp biryani masala; Juice of ½ lemon; Salt to taste; 450 g (2¼ cups) basmati rice; 2.25 litres water, 2 tbsp salt; Whole spices: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf; ½ tsp saffron in 3 tbsp milk; 3 tbsp fried onions; Mint and coriander; 2 tbsp ghee

Prawn biryani with juicy shrimp and basmati rice — Photo: Number55 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Prawn biryani is a treasured dish along the coasts of India and Pakistan. Because prawns cook in minutes, the masala is built first and the seafood is added briefly, keeping it plump and sweet. Light yet full of flavour, it's a faster biryani that still delivers all the aroma.

Servings: 5
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Rice: Long-grain basmati

Method

Tick a step to mark it done.

Step 1: Rinse and soak the rice; drain. Season the prawns with a little salt, turmeric and lemon.
Step 2: Fry the onions golden; add ginger–garlic paste, chillies and tomatoes.
Step 3: Add the ground spices and yoghurt and cook to a thick masala.
Step 4: Stir in the prawns and cook just 3–4 minutes until they turn pink. Do not overcook.
Step 5: Parboil the rice to 70%; drain.
Step 6: Layer rice over the prawn masala with saffron milk, fried onions, herbs and ghee.
Step 7: Seal and dum on the lowest heat for 12–15 minutes only.
Step 8: Rest briefly and fold gently.