This vibrant and delicious Prawn Biryani Recipe is an easy recipe in which plump juicy Prawns are layered with fragrant rice. Resulting in the most aromatic, flavourful and comforting plate of food. What’s more? It is made with simple Indian store cupboard ingredients and is surprisingly easy to make.
Prawn Biryani
This Biryani recipe is like many other Biryani recipes in that fluffy Rice and a rich curry made with protein and yoghurt is layered in one large pot over low heat.
In this recipe, we are using prawns.
There are so many varieties and versions of Birayni. There are:
layered versions
mixed versions
and some versions where both the main elements are served separately.
What is Biryani?
Biryani is a layered South Asian rice dish in which rice and curry are slow cooked separately with herbs and Indian spices.
These are then layered and cooked together to make the most delicious recipe.
The curry usually includes some sort of meat such as chicken, lamb, goat, fish or prawns. The curry gently bubbles away with the rice and all the flavours come together in perfect harmony.
In this version, because the protein is prawns, the curry element differs slightly so that we don't end up with tough chewy prawns.
Ingredients in Prawn Biryani
Rice
Long grained Rice such as Basmati Rice is best.
Prawns
King Prawns without the shells are best. Smaller ones tend to get overcooked and can become tough and rubbery pretty quickly. You can also use frozen prawns that have been thawed.
Yogurt
Plain, Natural or Greek Yoghurt can be used.
Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste and Green Chilli Paste
Crushed pastes or frozen blocks. You can either make them yourself by adding peeled chopped ginger, garlic or green chilli to a blender with a little oil and blending.
Onions
You need 4 onions in this recipe. Some for the curry base and some fried onions to go inbetween the Biryani layers. You can buy pre fried onions for the layering if you prefer.
Oil
Mustard, Vegetable or Sunflower Oils can be used. I would not recommend Olive Oil. You can also add a touch of Ghee which adds flavour and also has a higher smoke point.
Milk and Saffron
Bloom the saffron in the milk before adding it to the rice.
Ground Spices
Cumin powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder, Red Chilli powder, Salt, Curry Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Curry Powder.
Colouring
You can add red and orange food colouring to some grains of the rice to make it really vibrant.
Whole spices
Bay Leaves, Cardamom Pods, Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Caraway.
Lemon Juice
Just a touch to balance the flavours.
Tomatoes
Pureed Plum Tomatoes from a tin or blend 2 Tomatoes.
how to make prawn biryani
For full detailed recipe, scroll to the bottom of the page:
Add Saffron to warmed Milk and set aside. I like to break and dry toast the Saffron first before using.
If you want to use fried onions between layers, fry them now until a deep golden brown. Or use ready made.
Marinade Prawns in Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder and Salt.
Pre soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Boil the water with the Bay Leaf, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon Sticks, Cardamom Pods, Black Peppercorn, a generous pinch of Salt and Lemon Juice.
Bring back to the boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Fry Onions in oil until golden brown, then add whole spices - Bay Leaves, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom and Black Pepper. Cook till fragrant.
Add Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilli and cook for a few minutes before adding Ground Coriander, Ground Cumin, Ground Turmeric, Red Chilli Powder and Salt.
Pour in the Tomato. Bring to a boil and then cook covered on low heat, for 15 - 20 minutes.
Add Yoghurt, Garam Masala Powder and Curry Powder and Prawns. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring throughout.
Add some oil to the bottom of a large pot.
Add a layer of rice to the bottom of a large pot. Then add a layer of Curry. Continue with layers till everything is used up.
Pour over the Saffron Milk.
Add dots of Ghee over the rice. Pour/flick over coloured water if using.
Cover in 2 layers of foil and add the lid. Cook on low for 15 - 25 minutes, leave covered for 10 minutes.
Check that the rice is cooked, otherwise continue to cook on low till rice is cooked through.
Top tips to make the best Prawn Biryani
Whole Spices
Using whole spices and adding them to the golden brown onions adds a wonderful depth of flavour and aroma that cannot be replicated.
Marinade
Marinading the prawns and cooking them for a very short time ensures that they take in flavour whilst not getting overcooked.
Rice
I use pre soaked Basmati Rice in this recipe. The basmati rice I prefer is either Mustafa Rice or Tilda Basmati. The rice should be long-grained. Aged basmati yields better results.
Pre soak the rice
When time isn't as issue, you should always soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
Soaking the rice removes excess starch, reduces cooking time and makes for a more fluffy overall dish.
If you do not have time to soak the rice, thoroughly rinse the rice before adding it to the pot.
Please note that this will change cooking times and quantity of water needed too. Presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked
Caramelising onions
Adding this between layers means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour. This is optional though.
Kewra Water
A lot of people, add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it. You can add some if you like.
Eggs
You can add serve this Biryani with boiled eggs. Eggs always make everything better.
Yoghurt
Whisk before adding to the tomato mixture to stop it from curdling. You can also add some of the tomato mixture to the yoghurt and whisk together before adding the whole lot back to the pot.
Boiling the Rice
The rice will taste salty once boiled but it does get drained so this is ok.
Variations
Different Meat - Use other Proteins such as Lamb, Chicken, Goat. It will take longer to cook though. Make sure the meat is fully cooked in the curry before layering.
Scale up - You can double to triple this recipe and just make it in a large pot but you DO NOT NEED to increase the spices by double or triple the amount. Just adjust slightly.
Storage
Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Can Biryani be frozen?
Biryani freezes really well. You can freeze the whole lot in a good freezer friendly air tight container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw the biryani overnight in the fridge or reheat for a few hours on the countertop. Reheat in microwave or on stove top over low heat until warm through.
How to serve
This recipe is perfect served with Papadum, Pickles (Achaar), Kacumbur (Salad) and Raita. I love this Onion one.
How to Make Ahead
You can par boil the rice up to 24 hours ahead of using. You can marinade the Prawns for he same length of time too.
You can also make saffron milk and brown the onions ahead of time.
Then on the day of, assemble the biryani layers and cook as per recipe.
Or you can make the recipe up until the prawns are added and boil the rice ahead of time and then continue with the recipe.
FAQs
What does biryani taste like?
Biryani tastes like a spiced rice and curry one pot dish. It is jam packed full of flavour and so delicious.
How Healthy is Biryani?
Biryani is surprisingly healthy if you don’t add fried Onions between layers. If you do add them anyway, the quantity is shared between 6 portions so it is ok!
Is Biryani spicy?
That is up to you. You can make it as spicy as you like! This. recipe is actually pretty mild.
More South Asian Rice Recipes:
Pakistani Chicken Biryani Recipe
Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice
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Prawn Biryani
Ingredients
Saffron Milk
- 50 ml Milk Warmed for a few seconds in microwave
- Few strands Saffron
Fried Onions
- 300 ml Oil Veg
- 2 Onions Sliced
Marinaded Prawns
- 400 g King Prawns Without Shell, Deveined
- ½ teaspoon Pureed Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Pureed Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- Pinch Salt
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
Rice
- 2 cups Rice soaked for 30 minutes
- 4 cups Water
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cloves
- 4 Black Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Curry
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2 large Onions Sliced Finely
Whole Spices
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 4 Black Peppercorns
Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilli
- 2 teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- 1 teaspoon Green Chilli Paste
Ground Spices
- 2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 - 2 teaspoon Salt
Remaining Curry Ingredients
- 200 g Plum Tomato tin Pureed
- 5 tablespoon Natural Yoghurt Whisked
- 2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Curry Powder Optional, I use Madras
Layering
- Handful Coriander leaves and stems chopped
- Ghee
- Red and Orange Powdered food colouring Optional, dilute in water
Instructions
Saffron Milk
- Add Saffron to warmed Milk and set aside. I like to break and dry toast the Saffron first before using.
Fried Onions
- If you want to use fried onions between layers, fry them now until a deep golden brown. Or use ready made.
Marinaded Prawns
- Marinade Prawns in Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder and Salt.
Rice
- Boil the water with the Bay Leaf, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon Sticks, Cardamom Pods, Black Peppercorn, a generous pinch of Salt and Lemon Juice. Bring back to the boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Curry
- Heat Oil and Ghee. Fry Onions until golden brown (25 - 30 minutes), then add Bay Leaves, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom and Black Pepper. Cook till fragrant.
- Add Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilli and cook for a few minutes before adding ground Spices.
- Pour in the Tomato. Bring to a boil and then cook covered on low heat, for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Add Yoghurt, Garam Masala Powder and Curry Powder and Prawns. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat.
Assemble
- Add some oil to the bottom of a large pot. Add a layer of rice to the bottom of a large pot. Then add a layer of Curry. Continue with layers till everything is used up.
- Pour over the Saffron Milk on the top layer.
- Add dots of Ghee. Flick over coloured water if using.
- Cover in 2 layers of foil and add the lid. Cook on low for 15 - 25 minutes, leave covered for 10 minutes.
- Check that the rice is cooked, otherwise continue to cook on low till rice is cooked through.
Notes
Top tips to make the best Prawn Biryani
Whole Spices
Using whole spices and adding them to the golden brown onions adds a wonderful depth of flavour and aroma that cannot be replicated.Marinade
Marinading the prawns and cooking them for a very short time ensures that they take in flavour whilst not getting overcooked.Rice
I use pre soaked Basmati Rice in this recipe. The basmati rice I prefer is either Mustafa Rice or Tilda Basmati. The rice should be long-grained. Aged basmati yields better results.Pre soak the rice
When time isn't as issue, you should always soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking the rice removes excess starch, reduces cooking time and makes for a more fluffy overall dish. If you do not have time to soak the rice, then just thoroughly rinse the rice before adding it to the pot. Please note that this will change cooking times and quantity of water needed too. Presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soakedCaramelising onions
Adding this between layers means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour. This is optional though.Kewra Water
A lot of people, add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it. You can add some if you like.Eggs
You can add serve this Biryani with boiled eggs. Eggs always make everything better.Yoghurt
Whisk before adding to the tomato mixture to stop it from curdling. You can also add some of the tomato mixture to the yoghurt and whisk together before adding the whole lot back to the pot.Boiling the Rice
The rice will taste salty once boiled but it does get drained so this is ok.Variations
Different Meat - Use other Proteins such as Lamb, Chicken, Goat. It will take longer to cook though. Make sure the meat is fully cooked in the curry before layering. Scale up - You can double to triple this recipe and just make it in a large pot but you DO NOT NEED to increase the spices by double or triple the amount. Just adjust slightly.Storage
Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.Can Biryani be frozen?
Biryani freezes really well. You can freeze the whole lot in a good freezer friendly air tight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the biryani overnight in the fridge or reheat for a few hours on the countertop. Reheat in microwave or on stove top over low heat until warm through.How to serve
This recipe is perfect served with Papadum, Pickles (Achaar), Kacumbur (Salad) and Raita. I love this Onion one.How to Make Ahead
You can par boil the rice up to 24 hours ahead of using. You can marinade the Prawns for he same length of time too. You can also make saffron milk and brown the onions ahead of time. Then on the day of, assemble the biryani layers and cook as per recipe. Or you can make the recipe up until the prawns are added and boil the rice ahead of time.Nutrition
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