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Jhinga pulao (aka prawn pulao) served on a plate
5 from 2 votes

Prawn Pulao (Shrimp Rice Pilaf)

Blog: cookingwithnelo.com

Author: Nelo Samad
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Spice Mix

  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder - aka dhaniya powder
  • 2 teaspoons regular white salt - aka table salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder - aka zeera powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder - adjust to taste ⓘ
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric - aka haldi
  • 2 whole black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
  • 2 whole green cardamoms - aka choti elachi, pods should be intact, not broken
  • 1 small star anise - aka badiyan ka phool

For Pulao

  • ½ cup (120 ml) cooking oil
  • 1 large (200 g) onion - finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 1 medium (100 g) tomato - finely chopped. I prefer roma tomatoes
  • 2 small green chillies chopped - I use Thai chilies, adjust to taste ⓘ
  • 1 chicken cube - crumbled into small pieces
  • ¼ cup (60 g) yogurt - whisked until smooth
  • 1 pound (500 g) shrimp / prawns - aka jhinga. Uncooked, peeled, tail off, deveined
  • 4 whole small green or red chilies - I use Thai chilies, adjust to taste ⓘ
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro - aka coriander/hara dhaniya, packed tightly into the measuring cup
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed
  • 2 cups (400 g) sella/parboiled basmati rice - washed, soaked for 2 hours, then drained (Note A)

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients listed under "Spice Mix" in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large pot/saucepan over medium-high heat, or medium if your burner runs hot. Add sliced onion and cook until it turns golden (but not brown).
  • Add ginger paste, garlic paste, saute 30 seconds. Mix in chopped tomato, 2 chopped green chilies and ¼ cup water. Cook until the tomato is softened and broken down.
  • Add the prepared spice mix and crumbled chicken cube. Stir continuously for 2 minutes or until the oil starts to separate. To prevent the spices from burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water and lower the heat, if needed.
  • Add yogurt, stir for 30 seconds, then add prawns/shrimp. Gently stir and cook just until the shrimp start to change color. Don't cook more than a minute or two. They will finish cooking in the later steps.
  • Pour in 2.5 cups of water, cover the pot, bring to a boil. Pull out the stems of 4 chillies, leave them whole. Make sure they have no cuts or openings to avoid extra heat.
  • When the water is boiling, add these whole chilies, cilantro (coriander), lemon juice. Then add the soaked, drained rice and gently stir to mix.
  • Partially cover the pot with lid and let liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong). Don't stir yet, just keep an eye. At first, the bubbles on the surface will be big and vigorous. As the liquid cooks down further, you'll start to see small bubbles and steam holes across the surface. That’s your cue to give a brief, gentle stir. Some liquid (around 10 to 20 percent) will still be left, which is intended.
  • Cover completely with lid right away, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it steam for 15 minutes. If using regular basmati instead of sella basmati, steam 10 minutes instead. DO NOT remove the lid. No peeking, no stirring.
  • Turn off the heat. DO NOT remove the lid yet and leave the pot on the same burner. Let the rice rest for 15 minutes so it finishes cooking in residual heat.
  • After the resting time, remove the lid, plate the rice using a flat, wide utensil like a rice paddle, and enjoy.

Notes

Note A: Rice – If using regular basmati, soak 30 minutes and steam 10 instead of 15. Everything else stays the same.