Prawn Biryani

Its a delightful Indian prawn & rice bake that is more often known for its lamb version. It pairs perfectly with Raita, the recipe for which you can find at this link: https://www.ladyhatawa.com/post/raita

4-6 Servings

Ingredients for the marinade:

125gr yogurt

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp masala

S&P

Ingredients for the Biryani:

400gr raw prawns

450gr basmati rice

3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

3 cloves

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

400ml tinned chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp chilli powder

1 heaped tsp masala

S&P

Fresh coriander, chopped

Instructions:

Combine the marinade ingredients. Add the prawns & allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Place rice in a pot with 950ml water, 2 of the bay leaves, cinnamon stick & 3 of the cardamom pods. Bring to boil and then reduce to a very low heat until rice is cooked. Once cooked, remove the spices.

Heat your oven to 170c.

In a pan, heat oil on medium heat & fry the remaining bay leaf, 3 cardamom pods & cloves for 1 minute. Add the onion & cook until soft.

Add the garlic paste, ginger paste, tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, chilli powder, masala, S&P.

Scatter over a generous pinch of coriander & add the prawns with the marinade.

Simmer 3-5 minutes until prawns are cooked.

Oil the base and sides of a deep oven dish (at least 10 cm deep, such as a casserole dish).

Layer half of the rice into the dish, followed by the prawns with its sauce.

Add the remaining rice to the pan in which you cooked your prawns & coat with any remaining sauce. Layer on top of the prawns. Cover with a lid or foil & bake for 40 minutes.