Prawn Biryani!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Biryani is a rich and flavorful Indian dish. Most important fact is that it really does not require a lot of effort to prepare this delicious meal. I prepare some type of biryani every weekend. Lately it has been more often prawn biryani. That is mainly because my husband and I are die-hard sea food fans and I love the flavor prawn adds to the rice.

We tend to have prawns atleast once in a week in some form or the other. And whenever Ganesh sees KIng prawns in the sea food aisle he'll pick it up and say Prawn Biryani or Pulao this weekend and smile :-) As we all know that weekends are lazy days. And by lazy I mean waking up late and sitting in front of the TV not realising that it is almost 1 o' clock and ur stomach starts growling in hunger... Thats when I run to the kitchen telling my husband that it is not going to be sambar, rasam and poriyal day, but instead I can prepare biryani. And not even once has this option disappointed him. Who can be disappointed to have biryani right???

So enough with biryani stories. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2 people

Basmati rice - 2 cups
King prawns (peeled and deveined)- 12 or 15 (depending on size)
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Green chillies - 2 chopped
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves - a bunch
Mint leaves - a bunch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cardamom - 2
Star Anise- 1
Bay leaves - 2
Oil & Ghee - 1 tbsp each
Salt - as required

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for around 15 mins. Drain the water completely and set aside.
2. Heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker. Make sure the flame is in medium heat. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for a minute till they release the flavor.
3. Now add the chopped green chillies and the mint and corriander leaves and saute till the leaves wilt.
4. Next add the lengthwise slit onions and saute till they turn transparent and crisp.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and mix well. Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Let it cook till the tomatoes are cooked and forms a paste with the onions.
6. Now add the cleaned prawns and mix well. Now add all the masala powders and salt and mix well with the prawns. Close the lid with some gap and let the prawns release the moisture and get cooked for a few minutes. Make sure to saute in between so that there is no sticking to the bottom.
7. Now add 3 cups of water to the cooker. Generally for biryani the ratio of water to rice is 1.5:1. This ratio results in rice not being sticky. Then add the rice and stir well.
8. Finally sprinkle a few drops of ghee and add some chopped corriander and close the lid of the cooker.
9. Let it cook for 10 minutes under pressure or upto 2 whistles and remove from heat.

Serve hot with raita and boiled egg. A fantastic weekend lunch!!!!