One dish briyani is a favourite with many. All you need is a heavy bottom pot with a cover. This briyani is so full proof that you don’t have to be a professional chef to cook this.
500 g basmati rice
500 g large or medium prawns, shelled but with tails intact
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons coconut cream
1 tablespoon meat curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons ghee
2 X 4 cm cinnamon sticks
6 cardamoms
5 cloves
2 bay leaves
3 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
3-4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
750 ml water or chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
2 pandan leaves, tied into a knot
100 ml natural yoghurt
Pinch of saffron soaked in 80 ml hot water for 10 minutes or 2 teaspoons egg yellow colouring
METHOD
- Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
- Put prawns, salt, coconut cream, curry powder and turmeric powder together in a bowl. Combine well and leave aside to marinate.
- Heat ghee and fry the cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves until aromatic.
- Add in the onion slices and green chillies and sauté till onions turn golden brown.
- Add in ginger-garlic paste and sauté till raw smell vanishes.
- Add in the drained rice and stir to mix well till every grain of rice is coated with ghee.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the prawns. Stir to mix well and cook on medium heat until most water is absorbed but rice is still wet.
- Stir in the marinated prawns gently – ensure that you don’t burn your hand.
- Drizzle in the saffron water or yellow colouring.
- Cover surface of rice with non-stick paper.
- Put the lid on and leave it to cook until liquid is absorbed by the rice and prawns are cooked – about 8-10 minutes.
- Fluff up rice after 10 minutes and serve.