Hyderabadi Prawn Dum Biryani

Prawn Dum Biryani

Hi everyone

This is my first post in the Biryani Mela. I can assure you that everyone will definitely love this Prawn Dum Biryani.

To prepare Dum Biryani we have to cook rice and curry separately and layer them and cook them on dum on gas top or in convenetional oven. I generally cook in conventional oven as its a very easy method.

Ingredients:

For Prawn Curry:

1 kg/2 lb prawns peeled and d veined

1 onion large sliced lengthwise

4 to 6 green chillies slit lengthwise

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1/4 of small bunch Mint leaves

1/4 of coriander leaves bunch

2 tsp red chili powder (adjust according to spice)

1 1/2 tsp of Biryani masala (You can use home made masala also but i use MDH Hyderabad biryani masala)

salt to taste

1 tsp coriander powder

whole garam masala i.e:

2 inch piece cinnamon

3 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 piece mace

2 green cardamom

1 black cardamom (optional)

1 tsp kala jeera/black cumin (optional) or 1 tsp cumin seeds

5-8 fresh curry leaves

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp canola oil

For Rice:

4 cups basmati rice

6 cups water ( For i cup rice 1 1/2 cup water)

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

2 bay leaves

2 green cardamom

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

1 tsp canola oil

For Layering:

2 strands of saffron melted in 1/2 cup of warm milk

1 cup fried onions - you can directly buy them in store or else deep fry one small onion at home

1/2 bunch mint and coriander leaves.

Preparation:

Prawn Curry Preparation:

1. Marinate the cleaned prawns with 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp salt.1tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp lemon juice for minimum 30 mins
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the whole garam masala and fry till it gives nice aroma
3. Add onions and green chillies and fry for 5 mins. Now add ginger-garlic and fry till raw smell leaves and onions turn transparent but don't burn them.
4. Now add turmeric,salt and fry for few mins and add mint and coriander leaves.
5. Add marinated prawns and fry for 5 mins and add red chili powder,coriander powder and biryani masala,1tsp lemon juice and mix well for 4 mins without lid.
6. Now add a cup of water and boil with lid for 5-7 mins.
7. Prawns will be cooked so fast so check in between if you feel its cooked almost 90% you can take the lid off and cook without lid till gravy thickens. Don't make the curry watery it should have very thick gravy.

For Rice Preparation:

Start preparing the rice simultaneously when you are cooking the prawn curry.

1. In a heavy bottomed pan add 6 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, wholw garam masala and oil and bring it to boil.
2. Now add 4 cups of soaked rice and cook till almost done with lid.
3. Now add cooked rice to strainer and take excess water if any. Take care that you should not break the rice grain. You should cook rice in such a way that the rice grains are cooked and separated from each other, they should not stick together.

For Dum:

If you are cooking in Conventional microwave:

1. Take a biryani tray and grease it well with butter or oil spray and add one layer of prawn curry
2. Next add one layer of rice and then add half of fried onions,half of min and coriander leaves and few tsps of saffron milk.
3. Now add one more layer of prawn curry and complete layering with last layer of remaining rice and add remaining fried onions,mint and coriander leaves, sprinkle saffron milk in lines and add the gravy of prawn curry(just thick gravy not prawns)
4. Now seal the tray tightly with aluminium foil and poke at few places with knife or fork as shown in the below picture.
5. Pre heat oven on 350 degree F and once oven is ready place the biryani tray on second rack and cook for 20-30 mins.
6. Now change oven temperature to broil and cook for 20 - 30 mins. Good indication to take the biryani tray out is the upper layer rice grains will turn to bit crispy and mint leaves change its color to thick green or almost dark color.
7. Don't open the foil immediately. Let it sit outside for sometime before serving.
8. Open the foil just before serving.
9. Serve hot with Raita and enjoy :)

If you are cooking on stove top layering will be similar but its just you will cook on thick heavy bottomed pan.

1. First place a dosa or roti tawa on stove and place this biryani pan with layering on the tawa. This will supply the pan with uniform heat and as its not direct heat biryani will cooked very well.
2. For sealing first close the pan with musklin cloth and then place the lid. This will not allow any steam to escape from the biryani pan and will give that dum taste. If you feel sealing is not enough you can also seal it with roti dough.
3. Cook it for about 40 mins.

Sealing Biryani Tray

There are many versions of cooking this Dum biryani. If you have seen other cooking blogs most of them will tell to directly layer the marinated prawns and half cooked rice but if you are new to making biryani there are high chances of either prawns or rice not being cooked. So if you follow this recipe you will never go wrong in texture and taste. Hope everyone try this and enjoy it with your family. Do post your comments on this post and keep following for more recipes in "Biryani and Rice Mela"