Everyday Kitchen

Indian · Dinner

Prawn biryani

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
Non-vegMedium

Diet: Non-veg · Gluten-free · High-protein

Layer quickly cooked prawns with almost-tender basmati rice. A short covered finish keeps the seafood from becoming tough.

Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Soak, marinate, rise or chill
20 min
Total
75 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
Cuisine
Indian
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

Jump to recipe

Representative photograph of prawn biryani
Representative photograph of prawn biryani. This photograph is not a result of testing this draft. Photo credit and licence
0 of 5 steps complete

Screen wake-lock status will appear when cooking view starts.

Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 4

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Rice

Base

Prawns

Finish

Equipment

Heavy pot with lid; saucepan; sieve; spoon; thermometer.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Prepare the rice · About 20 min

  1. Rinse 300 g basmati rice; soak for 20 minutes. Boil 1800 ml water for rice, 1 ½ tsp salt for rice and 3 cardamom pods; add drained rice and boil for 7–8 minutes. Drain.

    Check: Rice is almost tender without a hard core.

Make the base · About 12 min

  1. Heat 30 ml neutral oil. Cook 200 g onion, sliced for 8 minutes. Add 15 g ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute; add 200 g tomatoes, chopped for 3 minutes.

Cook the prawns · About 4 min

  1. Add 600 g peeled raw prawns, 100 g yogurt, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¾ tsp salt; cook gently for 3–4 minutes.

    Check: Prawns turn opaque and firm; check 63°C / 145°F where a probe fits.

Layer and steam · About 8 min

  1. Spread rice over the prawns. Add 15 g mint, 20 g ghee, 50 ml water. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 8 minutes.

Rest · About 5 min

  1. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes before lifting the layers. Remove whole cardamom pods.

Tips

  • Do not use a long covered finish for prawns.
  • Start with rice that is almost tender.

Substitutions

  • Use shrimp of the same size.
  • Use oil instead of ghee and plain coconut yogurt instead of dairy yogurt.

Storage

  • Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.
  • Reheat rice only once, until steaming hot throughout. For this draft, check reheated food reaches 74°C / 165°F. Add a little water and cover while heating.
  • For sauces and soups, add a little water if thick and reheat gently. Crisp coatings soften after storage.

Make ahead

  • Slice onion and prepare spices ahead.
  • Cook and layer prawns on the serving day.

FAQ

Why are the prawns tough?

The cooking or covered finish may have been too long.

Can I use cooked prawns?

This draft uses raw prawns. Cooked ones need a shorter finish and thorough reheating.

Can I use small prawns?

They cook faster. Check after 2 minutes and shorten the final steam.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

Related recipes