Prawn pulao. Who could resist the insanely delicious combo of prawns (shrimp) and rice to make a healthy and nutritious weeknight meal? Flavor the prawns and rice with your favorite aromatic spices, herbs and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Pairs well with simple onion yogurt salad that adds a beautiful contrast to the spiced dish.
Creating a delicious weeknight meal often seems like a time consuming task. But, in fact, you can effortlessly whip up a tasty dinner with simple yet genius recipe ideas. For instance, a popular combo as simple as prawns and rice can bring in joy to your dinner table easily.
Say hello to prawn pulao or pilaf. A rice based dish highlighting the deliciousness of spiced prawns. A truly mouth watering dish, this can be prepared with a few ingredients like prawns, rice and spices. The unique combination of prawns, coconut milk and rice makes it a dinner winner, but feel free to add in veggies to boost the nutrition.
How To Make Prawn Pulao
Prep the prawns and marinate. Peel the prawns and devein them before marinating with ground turmeric, red chili powder, salt and pepper. Coat well in the marinade and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
Prep the rice. You can use your favorite rice in this recipe, but I have opted for basmati rice. Long grain rice or jasmine rice also makes for the perfect addition. Rinse rice well with water 2-3 times and then soak for about 20 minutes. In this prawn pulao recipe, we’re going to cook the rice separately with oil, salt and a splash of lemon juice. Cooking the rice separately will also prevent overcooking. When the rice is tender, drain and set aside.
Now, make the pulao or pilaf. Fry a few dried whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick in a little oil or ghee. Brown the onions until they are golden. Stir fry garlic, ginger and green chilies. You can also quickly fry the ground spices like ground turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala at this stage. Cook the tomatoes until they are mushy. I also like to add in some coriander (cilantro) leaves. After 2-3 minutes, you will notice the oil separating from the mushy tomatoes and masala. Stir in coconut milk, prawns and a little water. Once the prawns are cooked, stir in cooked rice. Now, give this a quick stir fry.
I like to serve this prawn pulao with a side of simple onion yogurt salad and pappadums.
More Pulao (Spiced Rice) Recipes:
- One Pot Chicken Pulao
- Palak Pulao | Indian Spinach Rice
- Chickpea Pulao
- Egg Pulao
- Five Color Pulao | Panchranga Pulao
- Tomato Pulao
- Easy Mushroom Pulao
Prawn Pulao | Shrimp Pulao | Video
Ingredients
Cook rice:
- 2 cups rice basmati rice preferred
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Water
Marinate prawns (shrimp):
- 500 g prawns shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Prawn (shrimp) pulao:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 - inch cinnamon stick
- 1 small onion peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger ginger paste
- 1 green chili chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 2 tablespoons coriander cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- Water
- Salt to taste
- Lemon wedges to garnish (optional)
- Roasted cashew nuts to garnish (optional)
- Onion salad and pappadums to serve
- Indian pickle to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse rice thoroughly with water. Soak rice with plenty of water for about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Place rice in a saucepan. Pour 4 cups water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and lemon juice. Season with salt. Stir gently. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain. Fluff rice with a fork. Set aside.
- Place prawns (shrimp) in a large bowl. Add ground turmeric and red chili powder. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee and oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add dried bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Add onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until golden.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Add ground turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala. Sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and coriander (cilantro) leaves. Sauté, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes turn mushy and oil starts to separate (you can see oil on top).
- Add coconut milk, prawns (shrimp) and ½ cup water. Stir to combine. Season with salt. Cook for 10-14 minutes or until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
- Add cooked rice. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and lemon wedges if you like.
- Serve with onion salad, pappadums and Indian pickle.
Video
Notes
- Onion yogurt salad or onion raita is a simple combo of sliced onions and yogurt. Don’t forget to season with salt.
- Coconut milk in this recipe makes a unique tasty combo with prawns (shrimp).
- Use peeled, frozen prawns to save time.
Nutrition
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