Prawn Biryani
Layered spiced rice with prawns and fried onion.
Ingredients
- 400 g Basmati rice
- 500 g Shrimp
- 2 Onion
- 150 g Yogurt
- 1 Ginger
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Garam masala
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Saffron
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 4 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice and leave it to soak in cool water while you prep everything else.
- Thinly slice the onions and grate the ginger and garlic.
- Fry the sliced onions in the ghee over medium heat until deep golden and crisp, then lift out and reserve, leaving the spiced ghee in the pan.
- Meanwhile, marinate the prawns in the yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, and salt.
- Cook the marinated prawns in their masala in the same pan just until they turn pink and the yogurt tightens, then set aside.
- Drain the soaked rice and boil it in plenty of salted water until about three-quarters cooked but still firm in the center, then drain.
- Layer the prawns and rice in the pot, drizzle over the saffron, cover tightly, and steam over very low heat until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy.
- Leave the pot sealed off the heat for 10 minutes before opening — the prawns finish gently and the rice settles.
- Fold gently and serve topped with the crisp onions and cilantro.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Prawn Biryani
Prawn biryani is the coastal cousin of the more familiar mutton and chicken versions, a layered rice dish that turns up wherever India meets the sea — from Malabar and Kerala up through the Konkan coast and into Hyderabad. What defines it is the assembly rather than a single cooking pot: aromatic basmati is parboiled separately, a spiced masala is built alongside, and the two are married in layers with saffron and crisp fried onions so the grains stay long and distinct rather than collapsing into a pilaf. The prawns are the whole point, and biryani is one of the few grand rice dishes quick enough to accommodate them, since shellfish overcooks in minutes and can't survive the hours of braising that tougher meats demand.
Eaten well, the dish is a study in contrasts — fluffy, saffron-streaked rice against plump prawns that stay just short of firm, the sweetness of deeply caramelized birista onions cutting through the tang of a yogurt-and-garam-masala marinade. This version is smart about sequencing: the onions are fried first in ghee so their sweet, spiced fat carries through everything cooked after them, and the prawns are pulled from the heat the instant the yogurt tightens, which is how you avoid the rubbery bite that ruins most seafood rice. Serve it with a cooling raita and a wedge of lemon, and treat it as a centerpiece for a weekend lunch or a dinner that deserves a little occasion; the payoff sits well above the hour it asks for.
Prawn Biryani: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Prawn Biryani?
A serving has about 678 calories — 35.8g protein, 92.6g carbs, 17.7g fat, 3.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 35.8g of protein, roughly 21% of its calories.
Is Prawn Biryani gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Prawn Biryani has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Prawn Biryani dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Yogurt, Ghee. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Prawn Biryani take to make?
About 60 minutes start to finish, but only around 42 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Prawn Biryani?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Prawn Biryani make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.