Prawn/ Chemmeen Biriyani

Ingredients:

1/2 kg prawns, cleaned
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4 onions, sliced
2 cups basmati rice
3 1/2 cup hot water
2″ piece ginger
5 green chillies
8-10 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves
few mint leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tsp garam masala
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
2 cinnamons
1 bay leaf
2-3  tbsp ghee
oil
salt

 Preparation:

For Preparing Prawn Masala

1. Clean the prawns and marinate it with chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Crush ginger, garlic and green chillies together.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add marinated prawns and shallow fry slightly on both sides and keep it aside.
4. In the same oil used for frying prawns (add more oil if needed), add 3 sliced onions and saute till transparent.
5. Add crushed ginger, garlic and green chillies paste and saute well.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till soft. Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and mix well.
7. Add 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt and mix well. Then add fried prawns, mix well and cook covered for few minutes in low flame.

For Preparing Rice

1. Wash and drain the rice. Boil the water and keep it aside.
2. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan, add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf and 1 sliced onion and saute till transparent.
3. Add drained rice and saute for 4-5 minutes in a medium flame. Add boiled water and salt, cover and cook till rice is done.

For Layering:

1. Divide the cooked rice into two parts. Mix little biriyani colour in little milk and keep it aside.
2. Take a wide thick bottomed pan and rub it with little ghee. Layer the bottom of the pan with one part of cooked rice. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp garam masala all over the rice.
3. Add prepared prawn masala over the rice and then add remaining rice as a top layer.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp garam masala, biriyani colour, 1 tbsp lemon juice and coriander leaves all over this.
5. Close with a tight lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
6. Garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins and coriander leaves…Serve hot..