Chemmeen Biryani a.k.a Kerala Prawns Biryani

One of the advantages of living in the coastal band of India is fresh seafood at cheapest price. For hardcore seafood lovers like me, this is also the factor that gives us the courage to bear and live through the perennial humid summers of South. And the situation gets even better when you do not have to slog much going to mid-week and Sunday markets to buy your portion but all you got to do is to step out of your kitchen door to buy your pick from the fish lady. Ah, how convenient it is!

Well, the lady here comes every Tuesday and Friday and she comes loaded with prawns and other seafood varieties. For this reason, by now I must have tried making prawns biryani some 4-5 times. Yesterday I wanted Pradeep to buy coconut on his way back home for making cherupayar curry and as soon as he reached home he asked me in a very (cute) excited way "Why did you want me to buy coconut? Are you cooking prawns". Unfortunately I had to let him down yesterday but offered him prawns biryani today for lunch. I have kept my word and now hungry and waiting for him to show up.

This recipe is adapted from here and I have twisted it to suit our taste preference. As mentioned already, I must have made this almost 4-5 times, and every time it tasted different but tasty. But there was one day I remember preparing it just for me and I am still trying to figure out what change I made that day, because it tasted just out of the world. I will have to keep perfecting this till the time I come across, may be you can call it a blunder, I committed the other day. :-)

Ingredients:

For the Rice

Basmati rice - 1 cup, washed, soaked for 15 minutes and drained

Ghee/oil - 2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Juice  of 1/2 a lime (large)

Water - 2 cups

For the Prawns Masala

Prawns - 1/2 Kg, size as you prefer, cleaned, and de-veined, marinated at least 1 hour with salt, ginger, garlic and green chili mix along with chili powder and 2 tablespoons of curd

Whole spices - 1 teaspoon, mix of cardamom, cloves, cinamon, whole pepper and cumin seeds

Onion - 1, medium, thinly sliced

Curd - 3 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - a few springs

Mint leaves - a few springs

Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoon

Biryani masala - 1 tablespoon

For Garnishing

Onion - 1 small, thinly sliced

You may also add cashews and fried grapes (I personally do not prefer these in my rice)

Preparation

1. In a deep wide mouthed pan, heat oil and add whole spices. To this add the marinated prawns and shallow fry it until cooked. Keep aside.

2. In the same pan, add ghee and add the drained rice. Fry in medium heat for 3-5 min. Add 2 cups of water, and salt, cover tight and cook until 80% done.

3. While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pressure cooker. Add the sliced onion (for prawns masala) and fry until almost brown. Add coriander powder and pepper powder, followed by shallow fried prawns and curd; cook for 5 minutes. Add the herbs (coriander and mint leaves), mix well to combine. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

4. When the rice is 80% done, layer rice and the prawns masala in the pressure cooker (you can do this is a steamer too). Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon biryani masala after the first layer and the other 1/2 tablespoon as a topping to the final layer. Squeeze the lime juice over it. Cover and cook in medium heat for  5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Open a few minutes before serving. For garnishing, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and fry onions until crisp and brown. Spread this over the rice.

6. You may serve this with some meat gravy or raita. I personally enjoy biryani (of all variety) with some tasty pickle. :-)