PRAWNS BIRIYANI/CHEMEEN BIRIYANI

INGREDIENTS

Prawns - 500 gms

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 glass

Ginger  - Medium sized

Garlic - 6 cloves

Curry leaves - 2 strands

Green chilly - 3 

Chillie powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder -1 tsp

Onion - 4

Ghee -4 tbsp

Tomato- 1

Curd - 3 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Cardamom

Cloves

Cinnamon

Fennel seeds

Star Anise( Thakkolam)

METHOD

Wash and rinse 1 n 1/2 cups on basmati rice and keep it on a strainer.

MARINATING 
Add salt, 1 tsp chilly powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder to the prawns . Mix it well and keep it aside for half an hour.

Heat oil in a pan and fry a hand full of finely chopped onion for garnishing.Remove the onion fry to another plate.

Now fry the marinated prawns in that oil in a medium flame.

PRAWNS MASALA PREPARATION

Prepare the green masala by grinding 2 strands curry leaves, medium sized ginger, 6 cloves garlic and 3 green chilly in a grinder.

In to this prawns fried oil add 1 tbsp of ghee , 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 stick of  cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 star anise, 3 cardamom and mix well.Add remaining chopped onion and 1/4 tsp salt , allow the onion to turn brown. To this add the green masala ,mix well for few seconds.Then add 1 tsp chilly powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp pepper powder.Give this a nice mix.Keep the flame low while adding the masala powders. After one minute add chopped tomato and curd , mix well and cook it closed for 2 minutes. Add the fried prawns.Cook it covered for another 2 minutes. Remove the prawns masala to another vessel.

RICE PREPARATION
Add 1 tbsp ghee , 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 2 cloves, 1 cardamom to the same pan in which you prepared the prawns masala.Add the strained rice to this and roast it.This gives the rice a nice flavour of the prawns masala.

Once the rice is slightly roasted add 3 n 1/4 cup of water and salt accordingly and once it starts boiling cover it with a tight lid and cook it for 10 minutes in low flame.Open the lid only after another 10 minutes after switching off the flame.


Remove half the rice. Spread it ,top it with half of the prawns masala,1/2 tsp of ghee, some fried onions.Then put some more rice on the top of it and then top it with the rest of the prawns masala, some onion fries, 1/2 tsp ghee.Top this again with the rest of the rice.Garnish this with the remaining fried onions.

Now cook it covered for another 5 minutes in low flame.