Prawn Dum Biryani | How to make Prawn Biryani Step by Step Recipe

With my sil visiting us, I was planning on each menu to be different from what I have already made for. Though some get repeated as they like those dishes, I ended up making some new ones for them. Like this Prawn Dum Biryani. Since I have never cooked prawns myself, I decided to get Amma's help. We discussed which one to make and finally decided to make a Dum Biryani for the weekend lunch. We made it quite spicy and curried, so there was no need for a side dish to be made.

The menu was quite simple, though this dish alone ended up being very elaborate. We just made the Prawn Dum Biryani, Prawn Pakodas, Rasam, Plain rice with some Onion Raitha on the side. The meal ended up being very sumptuous and everybody enjoyed the biryani.

If you are looking for a sinful roast, then try this Nei Royyala Vepudu / Prawns Ghee Roast.

If you are fond of prawn gravies, try this Kerala style Prawn Curry

Though I had other dishes that we made over the weekend, as I had taken the Saturday off, I thought this suited the Weekend Cooking much better than anything else. This is the first time I was feeding prawns to my twins, though Chinnu liked it, Peddu refused to eat the prawn and managed with just the rice. He is not really very much into gravies etc.

However I was surprised that Chinnu liked the prawns in the rice than the pakodas, when everybody at home praised the Pakods.

Well I guess he will need some more time to get used to the taste. I did tell him that it was chicken and sometimes fish. When I said prawns, he asked what it was. Well I then struck to just chicken.

I was happy that I had a happy lot at home, the entire cooking took about 1 and 30 mins and was worth each minute.

Prawn Dum Biryani

Ingredients Needed:

For the Rice

2 cups Basmati Rice
2 tbsp Ghee
2 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon inch
2 Cardamom
Salt to taste
3 cups Water

For the Prawns Masala

1 Kg Prawns
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 cups Onions    chopped
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 cup Tomato Puree
Salt to taste
A pinch Turmeric Powder
1.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Powder roasted
1 cup Water
10 Cashew Nut paste

For assembling

2 tsp Butter
Coriander leaves handful
10 strands Saffron
1 cup milk
A Pinch Kesar Food colour
2 tbsp milk

Prep Work

Soak the saffron strands in 1 cup milk
Mix the kesar food colour in 2 tbsp milk and keep it aside.

How to make the Rice

Wash and soak the rice for 10 mins.

In a nonstick pan, heat the ghee, saute the whole spices and once the jeera crackles, add the drained rice. Saute well.

Then add water, salt, cover with lid. Bring to boil and then simmer to cook till almost done.

It's best if you remove when the rice is just done.

How to make the Prawn Masala

Wash and clean the prawns. Let it drain on a colander.

In a wide kadai, heat oil, add fennel seeds. Then add finely chopped onions. Saute till it turns almost brown.

Now add ginger garlic paste. Saute well. Add tomato puree, combine everything together.

Then add the drained prawns, turmeric powder, salt. Cover with lid and let it cook for 5 mins.

Now remove lid add the red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala. Let it continue cooking in simmer, the prawns should be well coated with the masalas.

Gently stir everything so the spices get cooked well.

Meanwhile soak the cashews in hot water and blend to a smooth paste adding water.

Add a cup of water or as much required to the prawns and bring to boil. Simmer and stir again. At this stage add the cashew paste.

Simmer again else it might get burnt.

Continue cooking till the gravy thickens. Once done, switch off the gas.

How to assemble:

Heat the pan that you are going to do the dum, with butter.

Remove from stove and first layer with rice. Fluff the rice well so that the entire bottom is covered with rice.

Top with the prawn masala, then add the finely chopped coriander leaves, drop in butter

Layer it again with rice and followed by remaining prawn masala. Completing with a final layer of rice.

Now sprinkle the saffron milk and the kesar milk with a bob of butter and final sprinkling of coriander leaves.

Cover with a tight lid and place a heavy pan over it, making sure no steam escapes out.

Cook in Dum for 20 mins.

Once done, gently remove the rice as I have shown in the last picture and transfer to a serving bowl.

The rice will remain white, coloured and curried all over.

Serve as such or if you want with onion Raitha

The home is so empty as our relatives left to their home. Athamma went along with the twins and it's back to cooking for two. I am hoping to take up the challenge and cook something interesting for just two of us.

So stay tuned for cooking for two and some interesting new dishes!