Name: Jinga Biryani/Prawn(s) Biryani recipe by Lubna Karim at BetterButter
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 cups Basmati Rice; ½ Kg Prawns, deviened,; scrubbed with sea salt and washed *; 1 big Onion, finely sliced; 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 3 tbsp Curd; 2 tbsp Red chilli powder; ½ tbsp Turmeric powder; 1 tbsp Garam Masala **; 3-4 cardamoms; 5-6 cloves; 2 2'inch Cinnomon sticks; 1 star anise; 3 tbsp fresh Lemon juice; A handful fresh Coriander leaves, chopped; A handful fresh Mint leaves; 2 tbsp lukewarm Milk; ½ tbsp Kesar/Saffron; ½ cup Ghee/clarified butter; Salt, as per taste

Ingredients Serving: 2

2 cups Basmati Rice
½ Kg Prawns, deviened,
scrubbed with sea salt and washed *
1 big Onion, finely sliced
1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tbsp Curd
2 tbsp Red chilli powder
½ tbsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala **
3-4 cardamoms
5-6 cloves
2 2'inch Cinnomon sticks
1 star anise
3 tbsp fresh Lemon juice
A handful fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
A handful fresh Mint leaves
2 tbsp lukewarm Milk
½ tbsp Kesar/Saffron
½ cup Ghee/clarified butter
Salt, as per taste

Instructions

Marination: In a bowl mix prawns, salt *, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, pinch of garam masala and curd. Add few coriander and mint leaves.
Mix well and leave for at least one hour in the fridge.
Meantime:
In the mean time wash and soak basmati rice. In a small bowl mix lukewarm milk and kesar. Set aside.
In a heavy bottom cooking vessel or kadai add ghee and to this add 2 cardamom, 3 cloves and 1 2'inch stick cinnamon.
Let the spices release the aroma. To this add sliced onions and fry till nice golden brown. Once the onions are crisp and nice brown turn off the heat, strain out onions and ghee separately.
Cooking the Prawns:
In the same vessel or kadai, add the marinated prawns, 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp fried onions. Cook covered till all the water evaporates and prawns turn soft and tender. Set aside.
Cooking the Rice:
In a heavy bottom cooking vessel (used for cooking rice) add 10-12 cups of water (if more also no problem, as we will drain off the water), salt *, ginger-garlic paste, 3 cardamom's, 3 cloves and 2 sticks of cinnamon.
Bring water to boil. When the water starts to boil add soaked basmati rice and cook till rice is just done.
Drain and collect the water using a sieve in a cooking vessel. Drain well and set aside.
Layering the Biryani:
Now in a heavy bottom cooking vessel add little ghee (the one which we fried onions) and on this add half of cooked basmati rice.
On this add cooked prawns, ghee, garam masala, kesar (soaked in lukewarm milk), deep fried onions, 1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh coriander and mint leaves.
Cover it up with another layer of basmati rice. If you have more cooked prawns then layer them on rice and so on.
Now add remaining ghee, kesar, fried onions, garam masala, 2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh coriander and mint leaves. Cook on a low flame by covering with a lid by keeping the strained water on top of the lid.
Cook for nearly 15-20 minutes. Turn off the flame and leave the vessel on the stove for another half an hour.
Garnish with fresh coriander and mint leaves. Serve hot with dalcha and dahi ki chutney.

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