Prawn Biryani

Prawn Biryani

This is not Chettinad style prawn biryani but easy to cook prawn biryani which can be prepared quick.
Keeping checking on my blog I will post Chettinad Prawn Biryani recipe soon.

Ingredients
Prawn / Eral - 1/2 kg
Biryani rice ( basmati or jeeraga samba ) - 2 cups
Onion medium chopped - 2 nos
Tomatoes medium chopped - 2 nos
Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tsp
Green chilli broken - 2 nos
Mint / Pudina leaves chopped - 1/4 cup
Coriander / Kothamalli leaves chopped - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala or Biryani masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2" stick
Cloves - 6 nos
Cardamom - 2 to 4 nos
Brinji leaf / Bay leaf - 1 no
Orange red food color - pinch ( optional)

Eral Sadam

Method
1. Clean prawns, wash and marinade with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp ginger & garlic paste.
2. Wash the basmati rice and soak in 2 and 3/4 cup water.( if using jeeraga samba rice soak in 3.5 cup water).
3. Take deep heavy bottomed pan with tight lid, heat oil in pan, when hot add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
4. When the aroma of the whole spices arise, add chopped onions and green chilli, sauté until onions are soft.
5. Add ginger and garlic paste to the pan and sauté until raw smell leaves.
6. Now reduce the pan heat to medium, add chopped Pudina, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, sauté for 1 to 2 mins.
7. Next add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and sauté till tomatoes are soft and mushy.
9. Add the marinaded prawns to the pan and still gently until prawns turn pale in color.
10. Increase pan heat to high, drain water from rice and add to pan. Bring to boil and season with salt.
11. When water starts boiling add the drained rice to the pan, gently keep stirring until 1/4 water is
absorbed by rice.
12. Cover pan with tight lid, again reduce heat and simmer rice on medium heat for 10 to 12 mins or until rice is cooked and tender.
( You could have seen in some hotel biryani will have some red colored rice here and there, if you prefer to do so, mix a pinch of food color to 2 tbsp water, in the previous step where 1/4th water is absorbed by rice, sprinkle( do not pour) this colored water on the top layer of rice, do not mix the rice and cover pan with lid).
13. Finally garnish prawn biryani with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Chef's tips
1. Since prawns are not filling like meat, I have suggested 1/2 kg prawns for 2 cups rice. You can reduce the prawn quantity if you prefer.
2. Prawns goes well with sour tomatoes but not with sour curd, so never use curd in prawn biryani.

Eral Biryani