Prawn Pulao with Coconut Milk – V.2.

This is my second prawn pulao on the blog. It is another one of the numerous ways to make a prawn pulao. This one also uses coconut milk and is just as delicious.

Serves: 6 to 8 Persons

Prep. Time: 15 Mins.

Cooking Time: 40 to 45 Mins.

Ingredients:

[Standard Measure – 1 cup = 200 ml.]

• Medium Prawns (cleaned & deveined) – 1 ¼ cup
• Basmati Rice – 3 cups
• Onions (finely chopped) – 3 to 4 medium
• Green Chillies – 2 to 3 (broken or slit)
• Corriander Leaves – 1 to 2 tbsp.
• Lime – 1 small
• Thick Coconut Milk (click here) – ½ cup
• Cinnamon – 3 inch stick (broken)
• Cloves – 14 (medium sized)
• Black Peppercorns – 1 tsp.
• Green Cardamom – 6 (medium sized)
• Bay Leaves – 6
• Turmeric – ½ to 1 tsp.
• Stock Cubes – 2 small
• Ghee – 4 to 5 tbsp.
• Salt – 2 tsp. or to taste

Step 1:     Wash the rice and soak in water for 20 minutes.

Step 2:     Apply ½ tsp. salt to the cleaned prawns and keep aside.

Step 3:     Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves and sauté for a minute on low heat.

Step 4:     Add the onions and fry till soft and light golden (don’t brown them dark). Next add the prawns and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder and give it a quick stir.

Step 5:     Drain and add the rice to the vessel and sauté lightly till the grains are well coated. Be gentle as we do not want the grains of rice to break. Add 6 cups of hot water and lime juice and cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Step 6:     Open the lid and add the coconut milk, crumbled stock cubes, green chillies and give a quick and gentle stir. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Step 7:     Simultaneously as the rice is cooking, heat a griddle on another stove / burner on medium heat. When the rice has cooked for 5 minutes at Step 5, take the entire vessel covered with the lid and place it on the griddle. Leave on the griddle to cook further for 15 minutes till all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with green corriander. Serve with a curry or a raita of your choice.