Pulao can be made in different ways. I have already posted the recipes of Mishti Pulao, Vegetable Pulao and Morog/Chicken Pulao.

Today’s recipe is of Prawn Pulao. My mother used to make prawn pulao in pressure cooker with Gobindobhog rice. The aroma of this rice along with ghee and prawns is simply brilliant. But unfortunately I do not find that particular rice in my current place, so use basmati rice instead. In fact here I also deviate from my mother’s recipe and try a bit different, the idea of  which is found in a news paper when I was in Kolkata. It is quite satisfactory too and these days I often prepare whenever wish to go for a one dish meal.

Ingredients to serve 4 :

1. Prawn – 250 gm.
2. Basmati rice – 2 cups
3. Ghee – 4 tbspoon
4. Whole garam masala (Green cardadom – 3, Clove – 3, Cinnamon stick – 1½”)
5. Bay leaf – 1
6. Javitri or mace – ¼ teaspoon
7. Nutmeg – 1
8. Caraway seed or sajeera – 1 teaspoon
9. White pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
10. Chopped onion – 1
11. Salt & sugar to taste
12. Cooking oil – 2 tbspoon
13. Hot water – 4 cups

Procedure :

Rinse the rice for 2-3 times and then soak for half an hour in water. Then drain out the water and spread the rice on a plate and let it dry.

Remove the shell, head and tail of the prawns, devein them and wash thoroughly. Smear salt and turmeric powder on prawns and keep it aside.

Crush whole garam masala, mace and nutmeg together and keep aside. Do not need to make fine powder out of them.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry chopped onion until it turns golden brown in colour. Keep the fried onion aside.

Now melt ghee in a large pan over medium heat and fry the prawns till they start changing colour. Take out them from the pan and keep aside.

Now add caraway seed, bay leaf, garam masala-nutmage-mace mixture and white pepper powder in the remaining ghee, saute for a while till nice aroma of the spices comes out.

Then add washed and dried rice into it and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Now add hot water and let it boil. As water starts boiling add salt and sugar.

As 70% of water dries out add fried prawns and give it a good stir. Cover the pan with a lid and cook further 10 minutes on low heat.

Then sprinkle over the fried onion and serve hot.