Prawn Biryani / Shrimp Biryani

Prawn Biryani / Shrimp Biryani / Eral Biryani

Recipe Details

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Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen medium shrimp / Prawns – 15
• Basmati rice or Jeera Samba rice – 1 1/2 cups

For the Biryani

• Oil – 2 tsp
• Bay leaves – 3
• Cloves – 2
• Cinnamon – 1-inch piece
• Cardamom – 2
• Star anise – 1
• Onion – 1 medium, chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Green chilies – 4, slit
• Mint leaves – 3 tbsp, chopped
• Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp, chopped; reserve a little for garnish
• Tomatoes – 2, chopped
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Biryani masala powder – 1 tsp (optional)
• Yogurt – 3 tsp
• Ghee – 1 tsp (optional)
• Cashews – 5 (optional)

For the Cooking Liquid

• Water – 3 cups if not using coconut milk
• OR Water – 2 cups + Coconut milk – 1 cup (optional)

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Preparation

1. Soak the rice for about 30 minutes, then drain well and keep aside.
2. Clean and devein the shrimp and pat them dry.
3. Chop the onion and tomatoes.
4. Chop the mint and coriander leaves, reserving a little coriander for garnish.
5. Slit the green chilies lengthwise.
6. Prepare fresh ginger-garlic paste if needed.

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Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
2. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Fry briefly until aromatic.
3. Add the chopped onion along with about 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Sauté until the onion becomes lightly golden.
5. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw aroma disappears.
6. Add the slit green chilies, mint leaves, and most of the coriander leaves. Fry for about 1 minute.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and form a thick masala.
8. Add the shrimp and sauté briefly, just until the pieces begin to turn opaque. Do not cook them completely at this stage.
9. Add the turmeric powder, optional biryani masala powder, and yogurt. Mix gently.
10. Add either 3 cups water, or 2 cups water plus 1 cup coconut milk.
11. Add the drained rice and gently mix everything together.
12. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes and taste the cooking liquid. Adjust the salt if needed.
13. Add the optional ghee and mix gently.
14. Close the pressure cooker and cook for about 2 whistles.
15. Turn off the heat immediately after cooking and allow the pressure to release naturally. Do not keep the biryani over low heat for an additional 30 minutes.
16. Open the cooker and gently fluff the biryani without breaking the rice or shrimp.
17. Garnish with the reserved coriander leaves and optional cashews.

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Tips

Do Not Overcook the Shrimp: Shrimp cooks quickly and can become rubbery when overcooked. Sauté it only briefly before pressure cooking.

Jeera Samba Rice: Jeera Samba rice works especially well for a Tamil Nadu-style biryani and gives the dish a distinctive aroma and texture.

Coconut Milk: For a richer biryani, replace 1 cup of the cooking water with 1 cup coconut milk rather than adding coconut milk on top of the full water quantity.

Biryani Masala: The biryani masala powder is optional because the whole spices, mint, coriander, ginger, and garlic already provide plenty of flavor.

Extra Aromatics: Nutmeg or other biryani spices can be added in small amounts if you prefer a stronger aroma.

Resting: Once pressure cooking is complete, turn off the heat and allow the cooker to release pressure naturally. This gives the rice time to finish steaming without unnecessarily overcooking the shrimp.

Serving Suggestion

Serve Prawn Biryani hot with onion raita, cucumber raita, boiled egg, or your favorite non-vegetarian gravy.