King Prawn Biryani Recipe

Prepare marinade

In a bowl combine yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, chopped green chili, lemon juice, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth.

Marinate prawns

Add the cleaned king prawns to the yogurt mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes (up to 1 hour). Do not over-marinate, as prawns can become firm.

Rinse and soak rice

Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the runoff is clear to remove excess starch. Soak the rinsed rice in cold water for 20–30 minutes while you prepare other components, then drain.

Cook rice (parboil)

Bring 2.5 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add 1 tsp salt, bay leaves, cardamom pods (slightly crushed), cloves and cinnamon stick. Add the drained rice and boil uncovered for 5–6 minutes until the grains are about 70% cooked (the core should still be slightly firm). Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.

Fry onions

Heat 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee (or butter) in a wide heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 12–15 minutes. Remove half of the fried onions to a bowl for garnish; leave the rest in the pan.

Cook tomato & spices

Reduce heat to medium. To the onions remaining in the pan, add the chopped tomato and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the marinated prawns (with marinade) and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently, until prawns are just cooked through and opaque (they should firm up but not be rubbery). Sprinkle half the chopped cilantro and half the mint over the prawns and spread evenly. Taste and adjust salt.

Prepare saffron milk

While prawns are cooking, place saffron threads in warm milk and let steep for 5 minutes to release color and aroma.

Layer biryani

Evenly distribute the par-cooked rice over the prawn layer. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk over the rice and dot with remaining 1 tbsp ghee/butter. Sprinkle reserved fried onions, remaining cilantro and mint over the rice in an even layer.

Dum (steaming)

Seal the pot with a tight-fitting lid. If the lid is not tight, place a sheet of foil between pot and lid to seal, then cover. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 12–15 minutes to allow flavors to meld and rice to finish steaming. Alternatively, place the sealed pot on a heat diffuser for even gentler heat.

Rest & serve

Turn off heat and let the biryani rest, sealed, for 5 minutes. Gently fluff the rice with a fork to combine layers, taking care not to break the prawns. Serve portions topped with extra fried onions and lemon wedges on the side.