PRAWN BIRYANI RECIPE

Everyone love biryani. It can be made pretty much with anything. The real tasty biryani is in the making of it. Biryani can be made in a pressure cooker, but the real aroma of the biryani comes only when it is made in dum.

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Soaking Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 40 to 45 mins
Serves : 3

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Oil – 2 tblspn

Ghee – 2 tblspn

Onion – 2 large sliced thinly

Tomato – 1 large sliced

Green Chilli – 2 slit

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tblspn

Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Coriander Powder / Malli Podi -1.5 tblspn

Garam Masala Powder – 2 tsp

Curd / Yogurt – 3 tblspn

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup finely chopped

Mint Leaves – 1/4 cup finely chopped

Saffron a pinch

Warm Milk – 4 tblspn

For Marinating Prawns:

Prawns – 20 medium size

Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 mins. Drain and set aside.

Start by cooking rice, bring lots of water to a boil, add salt to it and when it reached a rolling boil, add in rice and cook for 7 to 8 mins till the rice is 95 percent cooked. Drain and set aside.

Mix the prawns with the marination and set aside.

Heat ghee and oil in a pot in which you are going to make biryani.

Add in the prawns and cook on high heat for 2 mins. Remove it and set aside.

In the same oil add in onions, chillies and saute till golden.

Now remove half of the fried onions to a plate and set aside.

In the remaining fried onions, add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.

Add in spice powders and mix well.

Add in tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add in curd, salt, half of the coriander and mint leaves. Mix well. Cook till raw smell leaves away.

Add in the prawns and toss well in the masala.

Soak saffron in warm milk and set aside.

Now layer the cooked rice, fried onions, coriander and mint leave and the saffron milk.

Cover with a tight lid and put the pot on very low heat for 10 mins.

Open and fluff lightly. Serve hot.

Take all your ingredients

Soak basmati rice for 30 mins

Bring lots of water to a boil

add in salt

add in the drained rice

let them cook

now it is all cooked, it should be 95 percent cooked

drain and set aside

take prawns in a bowl

add in chilli, turmeric and salt

add in ginger garlic paste

mix well

heat ghee and oil in a pan

add in prawns

fry for 2 mins

drain them

i kept it in the same bowl

in the remaining oil

add in onions and green chillies

saute them

cook till it is golden

now remove some of the onions for later

remove it in a plate

now in the remaining onions

add in ginger garlic paste

add chilli and coriander powder

now add in some garam masala powder

mix well

add in sliced tomatoes

some salt

some yogurt

mix them up

add in mint and coriander leaves which are chopped finely

mix well and let them cook till raw smell leaves away

add in the cooked prawns

toss well in the masala.

Now lay the rice over this

add the fried onions

top with some mint and coriander leaves

pour some saffron milk over this

all done

cover with a tight fitting lid

put the whole thing on a very low heat for 10 mins

ta da

Give a gentle toss

serve

Chicken Biryani is a delicious savory rice dish that's loaded with spicy marinated chicken, caramelized onions, and flavorful saffron rice. For my Biryani, I've simplified the order of operations, while retaining the traditional layered approach to assembling it.

Chicken Biryani is a delciious savory rice dish loaded with spicy marinated chicken, caramelized onions, and flavorful saffron rice.

Whether you’re talking Arroz con Pollo, Hainanese Chicken Rice, or Oyako Donburi; chicken and rice is a classic pairing that has permeated culinary culture around the world. It makes sense that earlier in human history, this staple seed would be combined with a domesticated source of protein, but the fact that this combination has endured as a popular favorite today, speaks to its unassailable deliciousness.

Although widely associated with Indian cuisine, Chicken Biryani is a dish that has spread across a wide swath of South Asia, reaching as far west as Iraq, and as far east as Indonesia. The vast geographical area Biryani calls home has resulted in a huge variety of preparations and ingredients.

Pulao (a.k.a. Pilaf), a similar rice dish can be found in the same areas. While there’s some debate as to the difference between Biryani and Pulao, the latter tends to have less meat and veggies relative to the rice, which means it’s usually served as a side rather than an entree. The second big difference is that Biryani is usually layered and steamed, which creates a wonderful variation in flavor, texture and color when it’s all mixed together at the end.

This Chicken Biryani isn't hard to make and yet it's decadently flavorful with spiced chicken and caramelized onions cooked in saffron rice.

The bottom layer of rice absorbs all the juices of the chicken as it cooks, giving it a tender texture and rich flavor, while the top layer of rice turns out white and fluffy. Buried in the Biryani, you’ll find whole cuts of succulent chicken that are bursting with flavor from the potent array of spices, herbs and aromatics it’s marinated in.

For my version, I’ve simplified the preparation a bit by marinating the chicken in a spicy mixture of garam masala, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, cilantro and garlic. When fried, the spices and aromatics on the exterior of the chicken caramelize into an insanely flavorful crust. I like to cook the onions separately, as it allows you to fully caramelize them into an sweet umami-packed layer that contrasts the spicy savory chicken. For the rice, a quick par-boil with cardamom, bay leaves and cumin infuses some flavor, while ensuring the rice is tender enough steam after the Biryani is assembled.

I like to serve my Chicken Biryani with a cooling raita made with yogurt, mint, cilantro and a pinch of salt, but this is also good with a variety of different chutneys.

Ingredients

For Chicken

1 tablespoon

Vegetable oil

10 grams

Garlic (grated)

10 grams

Ginger (grated)

Serrano chili peppers (to taste, minced)

5 grams

Mint (finely chopped)

10 grams

Cilantro (finely chopped

1 tablespoon

Garam masala

1/2 teaspoon

Ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon

Salt

900 grams

Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

For Rice

6 cups

Water

2 1/2 teaspoons

Salt

Pods green cardamom (smashed)

1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds

Bay leaf

360 grams

Basmati rice (~2 cups)

For Onions

2 tablespoons

Ghee

Medium onions (sliced thin)

For Biryani

1 cup

Reserved boiling liquid (from rice)

1/2 teaspoon

Saffron threads

Cilantro (for garnish)

Steps

To marinate the chicken for the biryani, combine the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, mint, cilantro, garam masala, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and toss together making sure the chicken is thoroughly coated in the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
In a pot wide enough to hold the chicken in a single layer, add the ghee and onions and saute the onions until they are well caramelized (15-20 minutes). Transfer the caramelized onions to a bowl and set aside.
While the onions caramelize, prepare the rice by washing in a strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear.
To par-boil the rice, add the water, salt, cardamom, cumin and bay leaf to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice and boil for 7 minutes. Drain the rice, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
In the pot you caramelized the onions in, add the chicken in a single layer, skin-side down. Fry until golden brown on one side (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken over and fry the other side until golden brown. Transfer the chicken back to the bowl you marinated it in.
To assemble the biryani, add the saffron to the rice and toss to distribute evenly. Add half the rice mixture to the bottom of the pot you browned the chicken in.
Top the rice with the chicken in a single layer.
Top the chicken with an even layer of caramelized onions.
Finish putting together the Biryani by adding the rest of the rice in an even layer. Add 1 cup of reserved liquid from boiling the rice. Cover the pot with a lid and put the pot on the stove over medium heat and set the timer for 20 minutes. When you can see steam escaping from under the lid, turn down the heat to low and continue cooking until the timer goes off and then turn off the heat.
Without opening the lid, set the timer for another 10 minutes to steam the biryani.
Mix the Chicken Biryani together and then transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro and taste it.....