Prawn Pulao
Pulao is a beautiful blend of long grained fluffy rice and vegetables/fish/meat. When the pulao is prepared well, the rice is thoroughly cooked, yet not mushy- the vegetables/fish/meat contribute to the richness of the dish. Ideally not too spicy on its own, pulao can be enjoyed with any sort spicy curry to give it a nice contrast.
Recently my mom prepared Prawn pulao for us. I was so surprised to find the pulao tastier than some of the best biriyanis that I have had. I couldn’t wait to share the recipe with all of you!
For best Prawn Pulao, do try it with Basmati Rice, its signature fragrance is going to make the pulao 10 times better! However there are cheaper alternatives too available in the market. Medium sized prawns are best for this recipe.
Things you need:
The following measurement makes Prawn Pulao for 8 adults.
- Basmati Rice (1 kg)
- Prawns (medium – 2 kg)
- Yogurt (4 tbsp)
- Lime juice (4 tbsp)
- Sugar (2 tbsp)
- Ginger paste (1 tbsp)
- Garlic paste (1 tbsp)
- Chopped Onion (4 large onions, 400 g)
- Turmeric powder (1 tbsp)
- Cumin powder (1 tbsp)
- Coriander powder (1 tbsp)
- Red Chili powder (1 tsp)
- Black pepper (0.5 tsp)
- Garam Masala powder (2 tsp)
- Salt
- Cardamom (5-6 pcs), Clove (5), Pepper corn (5), Cinnamon stick (4-5)
- Bay leaves (4)
- Green Chilies (4)
- Ghee/ Clarified butter(4 tbsp)
- Cooking oil (200 ml)
- Coriander leaves and Mint leaves (1 cup)
- Milk + 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp garam masala mix
- 1 sauce pan of hot water
Preparation:
- Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in water for 30 minutes. After that drain the water and keep the rice aside.
- Clean the prawns. Marinate the prawns with 4 tbsp yogurt, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp sugar, salt(as per taste), 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp garam masala powder, 1 tbsp ginger paste and 1 tbsp of garlic paste for 30 minutes.
- Fry the choopped onions until golden brown.
- Tie crushed cardamoms, cloves, pepper corns, cinnamon, bay leaves, green chilies in a clean piece of cloth and boil it in the water.
- Once the water starts boiling add the rice in. Add a pinch of salt. When the rice is almost cooked add the lime juice. Drain the starch water and keep the rice aside. Remove the bundle of spices from the rice.
Procedure:
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the prawns. When the water is dried up, add hot water in the pan and cook for 15-20 mins.
- In a large sauce pan add 4-5 ladles of the prawn gravy (without the prawns).
Keep the rice, prawns, fried onions, chopped coriander+ mint leaves, milk mixture layer by the layer. - Cover the lid and let it cook for 15-20 mins on a double boiler. Covering the lid is necessary at this point to lock all the fragrance in!
Prawn Pulao is Ready to be served now!!
I guess I am going to have Prawn Pulao more often than my all time favorite chicken biriyani now!
Are you fan of Ilish maachh/Hilsa? We have got you covered!
