Video guide to delicious prawn pulao

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

200 gms prawns

250 gms basmati rice 

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

4 tbsp cooking oil

3 cardamom

4 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

½ tsp peppercorns

Salt to taste

2 tsp lime juice

20 to 25 cashews

2 tbsp of clarified butter

1 tsp of raisins

2 medium-sized onions (sliced)

1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste

1 tomato (chopped)

1 green chilli (optional)

¼ cup mint leaves

¼ tsp garam masala

2 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

Step: 1

Marinate the cleaned prawns with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of oil, half teaspoon of red chilli powder and salt. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes to rest.

Step: 2

In a cooking bowl, add water, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, a teaspoon of cooking oil, and lime juice, over a medium flame. Stir it all together, then add the rice and let it cook, which should take about 18 to 20 minutes. Once cooked, strain the rice and remove the cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon if desired. Keep it aside.

Step: 3

Grind around ten cashews in a blender to a smooth paste.

Step: 4

Heat two tablespoons of clarified butter in a pan. Fry the raisins and the remaining cashews separately in it. Add three tablespoons of oil to the same pan over medium flame, and then deep fry one chopped onion until golden. Remove and keep them aside.

Step: 5

In the same pan fry the marinated prawns in one or two batches. Fry the prawns for three minutes on each side. Remove and keep them aside.

Step: 6

In the same pan add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute over a low flame. After that, add the remaining sliced onions and sauté well for a few minutes.

Step: 7

Add the chopped tomato, and sauté for couple minutes over a medium flame. Then add half a teaspoon of red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, one green chilli (optional) and mint leaves. Sauté well. Cover and cook for a few minutes over a low flame.

Step: 8

Add the ground cashew paste and sauté for a few seconds. 

Step: 9

Add the fried prawns and ¼ teaspoon of garam masala. Combine well. Prawns pulao masala is ready.

Assembling

Step: 10

Remove half of the masala and place it in another plate and spread the remaining portion as a bottom layer in the pan. Then add a layer of cooked rice. On top of this, spread some fried onion, raisins, fried cashews and coriander leaves. Repeat the same after adding the second layer of masala.

Step: 11

Finally, cover and heat the pan over a low flame for about 4 to 5 minutes. Super tasty prawns pulao is ready to be served hot.

- The recipe is courtesy my family friend Soumini Kurian, who is well known for her culinary expertise and ability to combine the modern with the traditional in her creations.

Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

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