Prawn Biryani Recipe Bbc Food

PRAWN SAFFRON BIRYANI

Steps:

• Put the rice, saffron, cinnamon and salt into a large saucepan with 1.5 litres/2½ pints of cold water. Place over a high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the rice sticking to the base. Drain through a sieve and set aside.
• To make the sauce, put the same saucepan back on the hob and turn the heat up to high. Add the butter, then, as soon as the butter is hot, add the garlic and let it brown for about 4-5 minutes. Add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are soft - this can take 15 minutes.
• Squeeze in the juice of the half lemon, then cut the lemon rind into thin slices and add to the pan.
• Add the chillies, turmeric and five-spice, and stir for 5 minutes to cook the spices. Take off the heat and add the parsley and prawns. Stir well, so the prawns are coated. The prawns don't need cooking in the sauce - they will steam and cook in the biryani. Otherwise they run the risk of becoming dry and rubbery.
• Take a large pan, something you would be happy to serve up in, and pour the oil into the base. Swirl it around so that some of the oil goes up the sides.
• Pop in half of the rice and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Put all the prawn mixture on top of the rice.
• Put the rest of the rice on top of the prawns. Put the lid on firmly and place on a high heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down completely. Leave to cook for 20 minutes, then serve.

KERALAN PRAWN BIRIYANI

Steps:

• Mix the powders for marinade together with the prawns. You can skip the 20 minutes marination time, but this step packs the prawns with flavour. If using frozen prawns thaw them first as this helps the marinade enter the prawns. I prefer raw prawns since the cooked ones wont absorb flavour and tend to go rubbery on further cooking.
• Now the 20 minutes cooking time starts. Pour 5 cups of water in a microwavable pot and add 2 1/2 cups of rice to it. This needs to be cooked on full power for 20 minutes.
• In a non-stick pan add 3 tbsp of oil and saute the onion for rice till soft. This way the rice remains white after cooking. Do not worry if tips of some slices turn a bit brown. Your biriyani would still taste superb. Take the rice pot from microwave and add the sauteed onion with salt to taste and resume cooking for the remaining time.
• In the same pan shallow fry the marinated prawns avoiding pile up. I use a 20 cm diameter deep pan which takes 20-22 tiger prawns at a time, so your can do 500g prawns in 2 batches. Fry one side for 4-5 minutes, turn sides and fry for another 1 minute. This way the prawns remain juicy inside. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to kitchen towel to mop up oil. Now comes the difficult job of trying to keep away from them. I suggest sucking on a sweetie or your kids lollipop, believe me nothing else works, or else you will end up with a no-prawns-prawn biriyani.
• In the same oil saute the onion for prawn masala till light brown and soft. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies and saute. Depending on your fiery threshold you can either add more chillies or take the seeds out of the chillies. Now add in order coriander powder, 1/2 cup water, salt, fried prawns, lemon juice, leaves and 1 1/2 tsp garam masala. Your prawn masala is ready. Now this can be used as an accompaniment to flat bread too if you like.
• I use coriander seeds instead of powder, toss them dry in a pan, let them cool down and coarse grind using pestle and mortar.
• If you fell up to it try making your own biriyani masala. My recipe contains 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp shahjeera, 4 cloves, 1 cardamom pod, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder and 1 whole mace. I dry roast them for a few minutes to release their oils and till gorgeous aroma reaches your nose, let them cool down and grind them on the mill attachment on my food processor.
• You will see that there is still more time for the rice to cook. If brave enough (to add on a few more calories), use this time to fry some thin sliced onions, cashew nuts and raisins to use as garnish. Shop brought fried onions are a big no-no, they seem to taste of the weirdest oil ever. This may spoil all your hard work.
• Once the 20 minutes is up you will find the all the water is soaked up and the rice is dry on top. Use a fork to fluff up rice. Now you have two options. Either go traditional and layer rice and prawn masala in alternating layers together with the garnish and chopped coriander leaves in between layers and oven bake or microwave for another 10-12 minutes. I go for the easy option of lightly mixing the two together.
• To serve, transfer to a flat 5-6 cm deep serving plate and garnish with roasted cashew nuts, raisins and fried onions. Serve with yogurt raitha, hot pickle and poppadoms.
• For my other recipes go to http://kukskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/keralan-prawn-biriyani.html

SPICED VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Pour the oil into a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish and put in the oven for a couple of minutes to heat through. Add all the vegetables to the tin, except the beans, stirring to coat them in the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 15 minutes until beginning to brown.
• While the vegetables are roasting, stir together the stock, curry paste, chilli, saffron and mustard seeds.
• Mix the rice and green beans with the vegetables in the tin, then pour over the stock mixture. Lower the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 190C. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice and check the seasoning, then scatter over the coriander and cashew nuts. Serve with a pile of poppadums and a bowl of raita.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak 300g basmati rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.
• Heat 25g butter in a saucepan and cook 1 finely sliced large onion with 1 bay leaf, 3 cardamom pods and 1 small cinnamon stick for 10 mins.
• Sprinkle in 1 tsp turmeric, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks, and 4 tbsp curry paste. Cook until aromatic.
• Stir the rice into the pan with 85g raisins, then pour over 850ml chicken stock.
• Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook the rice for another 5 mins.
• Turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. Stir well, mixing through 15g chopped coriander. To serve, scatter over the leaves of the remaining 15g coriander and 2 tbsp toasted almonds.