Prawn Pulao

Who doesn't love a recipe that is fast to prepare, but tastes as though you have put in a whole lot of effort to it. Well, I do. I prepared this simple prawn pulao for our Sunday meal and the entire process took me only 40 minutes. No kidding!! So here we go.

Ingredients:

• Prawns 500gms
•  2 medium sized onions
• 2 large tomatoes
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 100 gm curds
• salt to taste
• 4-5 tbsp oil
• coriander leaves to garnish

For the rice:

• 500 gms Basmati rice 
• 1 litre boiling hot water
• 5 tbsp oil
• 5 cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 3 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom

Source: Thangam Philip's book of Modern cookery

Method:

For the prawns:

1. Shell, devein and wash the prawns well. Keep aside.
2. Slice the onions and chop the tomatoes fine.
3. Heat oil in a shallow pan. When hot add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown(quite brown).
4. When done, add the cumin seeds and chopped tomatoes. Fry well till the whole mixture is mushy together(6 to 8 minutes).
5. Add the prawns, coriander, turmeric and chilli powders. Add salt too. Fry the prawns well for 10 to 12 minutes adding the curds slowly at a time.
6. If you wish you can add very little water(I didn't) and simmer till prawns are tender. The gravy should be thick.
7. When done sprinkle with garam masala powder.

For the rice:

1. Wash the rice, strain and keep.
2. In a deep bottomed vessel heat oil. When hot add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Fry for a minute.
3. Add the rice and fry well for 5 to 8 minutes till you have a nice aroma. Take care as to not to burn the rice.
4. When done add 3/4th litre of the piping hot water. Cover and cook. 
5. If the water has evaporated add the remaining hot water and cook till done.

Assembling:

Once the rice is ready, arrange the rice and prawn with the gravy in layers. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with a cold raitha of your choice.

Notes:

1. The above is my method of preparing the rice. I generally add a little less of the required quantity of water so that the rice doesn't get too mushy. If required I then keep adding little amounts of water till the rice is perfectly cooked.
2. If you have any other method of preparing the pulao rice then by all means go ahead. 
3. While the recipe called for layering the prawn with gravy and rice, I mixed it all well cause that is how we like it.
4. While the rice was cooking I simultaneously prepared the prawns. The process from start to finish took me 35 to 40 minutes.