Shrimp Biryani (Prawn Biryani)

5 from 3 votes

Shrimp Biryani (Prawn Biryani)

This flavorful Shrimp Biryani is made with spicy shrimp or prawns layered with fragrant basmati rice and fried onions. With this tried-and-tested recipe, learn how to make the most flavorful restaurant-style shrimp biryani.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: prawns biryani, shrimp biryani

Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free

Method: Stovetop

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

Marinade

1 pound Shrimp or Prawns cleaned and deveined,
1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder mild, or use 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Lime or Lemon juice

Saffron

2 tablespoon Warm Milk
10-12 strands Saffron (Kesar)

Parboiled Rice

1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
6 cups Water
1 1/2 tablespoon Salt
1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
4 Cloves (Laung)
4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
1 Star anaise
1 inch stick Cinnamon (Dalchini)

Prawns Masala

2 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Ghee
1 large Yellow Onion about 250 grams, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
2 teaspoon Ginger freshly grated
4 cloves Garlic minced
1 large Tomato finely diced
2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
3 tablespoon Plain Yogurt thick full-fat, whisked

Biryani

1/2 cup Mint leaves (Pudhina) fresh, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves (Corainder) chopped
1/4 cup Birista / Fried onions
1 tablespoon Ghee

For Serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate Shrimp

In a bowl, add the shrimp. Then add all ingredients under the marinade section. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Saffron

Soak saffron strands in warm milk. Set this aside for 10 minutes.

Parboiled Rice

Add water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt, whole spices, and basmati rice (after draining the soaking water). Cook for 6 minutes, then drain the water immediately. The rice will be about 70% done at this stage. Don't overcook the rice. Check by taking a grain between your fingers; it should break easily but is still not completely done at the center.

Shrimp Masala

Heat oil and ghee in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds until they sizzle.
Add the onions and shallow fry for 15 minutes till they are a deep golden brown, without burning them (or else they will have a bitter flavor).
Add tomatoes, coriander powder, and garam masala. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add yogurt and keep stirring until it is incorporated well into the masala.
Add the marinated shrimp and mix. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Layer and Cook Biryani

Spread half of the fried onions on top of the shrimp. Then, spread half of the chopped mint and cilantro leaves on top of the shrimp.
Now, layer the parboiled rice evenly on top. Using a spatula, flat the surface. Then, drizzle the ghee and saffron milk all over the rice. Spread the remaining fried onions and mint/cilantro leaves on top (leave some fried onions and cilantro leaves or garnish).
Cover with a tight lid and cook on the lowest flame for 15 minutes. You can also wrap a kitchen towel on the lid to get that tight-fitting lid to keep the steam inside while cooking the biryani. This process is called "dum" which is basically cooking on low heat. (See notes)
Remove from heat and let the biryani rest for 5-10 minutes. When serving, dig deep to get all the layers with the yellow rice, white rice, and shrimp in one scoop. Garnish with fried onions and cilantro leaves. Serve with raita and salad!

Video

Notes

Shrimp: Make sure they're nice and fresh. Use large deveined shrimp. I used shrimp with the tail removed, but you can use shrimp with the tail on. Frozen shrimp works well, too. Make sure to thaw it well and pat dry to avoid extra liquid.

Fried Onions: This is the most tedious part of the recipe. You can fry and store the onions ahead of time in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Here is my fried onions recipe.

You can substitute with store-bought onions or shallots if you like. Be sure to get gluten-free ones, not mixed with other ingredients, before frying.

Marinade: Some people add crushed fried onions to the marinade. For this, I prefer using store-bought fried onions, which can be easily crushed. Add 2-3 tablespoons along with the other marinade ingredients.

Basmati Rice: I like to use premium extra long-grain basmati rice to cook biryani. If you use other rice, the biryani will not be as fragrant.

Cooking Biryani: If you don't have a heavy-bottom pan, place a tawa or griddle below the pan with biryani. This helps to diffuse the heat and ensures the bottom layer of biryani is not overcooked or burnt. You will need to turn up the heat to medium.

Storing leftovers: You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This biryani will also freeze well.

Nutrition