Perfect Shrimp(Prawn) Biryani(step by step recipe)

When you hear the word biryani,you only think of either chicken or mutton biryani,however seafood biryanis are equally great to taste and amongst them shrimp biryani is our family favorite.I cook it occasionally.I find it super easy and quick to make when i run out of time on any special occasion or when i have friends visiting my place.
My mom who has never been an fan of shrimp or cooked them much loved then recipe and became an instant fan of shrimp.So all those folks who don't like seafood or shrimp must try this recipe,and i promise you will love it :-)

shrimp biryani

Ingredients

- 3 cups basmati rice (I found India Gate Basmati rice as the best for biryanis)
- water to cook rice(atleast 8 cups)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- whole garam masala(2 cardamom,2 cinnamon sticks,3 bay leaves,2-3 cloves,4-5 whole black peppercons)
- 1/2 cup mint leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fried onions(if you dont have this,cut 1 onion lengthwise and fry them in some oil till they turn completely brown)
- 3 Tbsp biryani masala(i use shan bombay biryani masala)
- 1 large tomato thinly sliced
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 4 green chillies

Marinade
- 1.5 lb jumbo shrimp peeled,de-veined(atleast 20-25 pieces)
- salt to taste
- 3 tsp chilli powder(as per your taste)
- 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 Tbsp oil
- juice of one lemon

Recipe

Step 1 :
Wash the shrimp pieces thoroughly and drain all the water.Mix all the ingredients under "Marinade" and marinate it in an airtight/closed container for atleast 15 minutes or up to 1 hour in a refrigerator

Step 2:
Soak the basmati rice in lots of water for atleast 30 minutes.

Step 3:
Drain the water from the rice,cook the rice in a large pan with lots of water.Add salt,cumin seeds,whole garam masala to the boiling water.Make sure the rice is 70% cooked,it should be slightly hard when you feel it.Drain all the water and it aside.

Step 4:
 Heat oil in a wide nonstick pan.Add the marinated shrimp and shallow fry them on each side for 5 minutes.Remove the shrimp from the pan.

Step 5 :
To the same pan add the green chillies, onions and fry them till they run translucent.Now add the tomatoes and cook them till well done.Add yogurt,biryani masala and cook till it forms a thick paste.

Step 6 :
 Reduce the flame to low,cover the thick gravy in the pan with the rice and layer it with the fried shrimp.Sprinkle some biryani masala/whole garam masala , fried onions,mint leaves,coriander leaves and lemon juice over the rice.

Tip : To get some yellowish color,warm 2 Tbsp milk and add saffron to it.If you dont have saffron ,add a pinch of turmeric to the milk.sprinkle this milk over the rice.

Step 7:
Place the pan on the stove,cover it with an airtight lid and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes.Mix the biryani before serving from bottom to top.