Prawn Biryani

• 1 kg of fresh Prawns, de-veined, cleaned and shell removed.
• 750 gms of good quality long grain Basmati Rice.
• 3 large sized onions. Slice them into long pieces.
• 3 medium sized onions. Grind it to paste.
• 2 medium sized tomatos. Grind it to paste.
• 6 tsp of ginger and garlic paste.
• Fresh Corriander leaves.  Chop them into small pieces.
• Fresh mint leaves.  Chop them into small pieces.
• One green chilli. Chop it finely.
• 5 tsp of lime juice.
• Whole Garam Masala – 4 cloves, 10 black pepper, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 tbs fennil seed, 4 Bay leaves, 6 green cardimom, 3 black cardimom, 2 tbs of cummin seeds, 4 mace leaves and pinch of fenugreek seeds.3 tsp of red chilli powder.2 tsp of corriander powder.3 tsp of Garam masala powder.  
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder.
• Salt to taste.
• 200 gms of Cashew nuts.
• 100 gms of green raisins (kismis).
• 200 gm pure Ghee.
• 4 tsp of cooking oil
• 5 gms of Saffron soaked in warm milk.

Method: This Prawn Biryani is cooked in Three stages.

Stage 1:

• Heat up a frying pan.  Add oil to the pan. After the oil is heated up, add sliced onion little by little.  Fry this sliced onion until they are golden brown and crisp.  Remove the fried onions and keep them in  bowl.

Stage 2:

• Rinse the rice twice with clean water.
• Soak the rice with clean water for 30 minutes.  For 750 gms of basmati rice, add only two liters of water. Add 1 tbs of lime juice, one stick of cinnamon, 2-3 cloves, 4 pepper corn and salt to taste.
• Cook this rice until almost cooked (not completely).  Remove excess water if any.  Remove this cooked rice in a large bowl.  Rice should not stick to each other.

Stage 3: 

• Marination of Prawns. Take a bowl.  Add 1 tbs of red chilli powder, 1 tbs of corriander powder, 1 tbs of garam masala powder, half tbs of turmeric powder,  2 tbs of ginger & garlic paste, half tbs of salt,  2 tbs of lime juice, 1 tsp of oil.  Mix all these ingredients very well.
• Add prawns in this bowl.  Mix it well.
• Keep this bowl, in the Refrigerator for minimum one hour.
• Cooking Prawns. Take a kadai. Add ghee and heat it up.
• Add all the whole garam masalas into the hot oil.  Let the masalas release its flavours into the hot oil.
• Add chopped green chillis.
• Add Onion paste (Not the sliced onions) to the hot oil.  Fry the onions until it turns golden brown.
• Add remaining ginger & garlic paste.  Stir well until ginger/garlic is cooked well.
• Add remaining red chilli powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste.  Add little water into the Kadai so that the masalas are mixed well with the onion and this also helps to de-glaze the kadai. Cook this mixture until the masalas are fried properly.
• Add tomato paste.  Keep stirring this mixture well until tomato is cooked to perfection. The rawness of tomato should not be there.  You can taste it to confirm.
• Reduce the heat to minimum.  Add marinated Prawns slowly and keep mixing it continuously on slow heat.
• Donot add water.
• Cover the Kadai with lid and allow the Prawns to half cook. Keep stirring from time to time.
• Add half of the fried (sliced) onions evenly, sprinkle garam masala powder, 3 tbs of ghee evenly, spread half of the corriander leaves and mint leaves, 1 tbs of lime juice, spread half of the cashew nuts, spread half of the raisins and sprinkle half of the Saffron milk.
• Add layer of  cooked rice and spread it evenly.  Again add remaining of the fried (sliced) onions evenly, sprinkle garam masala powder, 3 tbs of ghee evenly, spread remaining corriander leaves and mint leaves, 1 tbs of lime juice, spread remaining cashew nuts and raisins, sprinkle remaining Saffron milk on top.
• Cover this utensil with tight lid.  Place a Tawa on the gas and heat it up. Place the Biryani utensil on top of the Tawa to avoid direct heat to the utensil.  Place some weight of something that can prevent the steam coming out of the utensil.  Dum cook the Prawn biryani at slow heat for 15 minutes.
• Serve Prawn Biryani hot along with sliced onion and lime piece.
• Happy Eating.