Malabar Prawn (Shrimp) Biryani is a special biryani from the Malabar region in Southern India. It’s incredibly delicious and a true delight for any seafood lover packed with rich flavors and textures that will leave you craving more. It is very delicious and the delight of any seafood lover.
I had posted the recipe for the very famous and delicious Kozhikodan Chicken biryani a couple of weeks earlier. The prawn or shrimp biryani is another variation of the biryani and is also called Chemmeen biryani in the local language.
The Malabar biryanis are very popular for their unique taste. Being close to the coast, the fish and seafood there are incredibly fresh, and nothing compares to the unbeatable taste of locally sourced ingredients.
It truly elevates the dish and makes the flavors even more exceptional.
Jump to:
Why you will love this biryani?
- The unique flavors of the subtle rice and the fried shrimp or prawns are a treat to the tastebuds.
- This biryani is simple to make as you cook the shrimp and rice separately. Layer them one by one and mix well.
- A good menu item for any get-together and party and everyone usually loves them.
- You can also substitute Shrimp with King fish or Mahi Mahi and make it a fish biryani.
Ingredients needed
- Basmati rice or Jeeragasambar rice (Kaima rice)
- Prawns De-veined and cleaned with salt
- Powdered spices - red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, fennel powder, black pepper, saffron
- Whole spices - clove, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves
- Ginger-garlic paste, yogurt
- Tomatoes, onions, curry leaves, coriander leaves, and mint.
- Kitchen staples - Clarified butter(ghee), oil, milk, lemon, salt
How to make Malabar Prawn biryani?
Prawns or shrimp are the highlights of this dish. Marinate the prawns in a spicy gravy and fry them to make the Biryani. Prepare the rice separately and layer with the prawn gravy and garnishes. Add biryani masala and homemade Kerala garam masala recipe to elevate the flavors.
The biryani tastes even better when allowed to sit for a while, as all the flavorful juices from the prawns soak into the rice, enhancing the richness and depth of the dish. The longer it rests, the more the flavors meld together, making each bite even more delicious.
Garnishes like fried onions, cashews, and raisins enhance the taste of this dish.
Step-by-Step Process
- Step 1-2: Fry cashews, raisins, and sliced onions in a combination of ghee and oil until they turn brown and crisp.
- Step 3: Shallow fry the marinated prawn(shrimp) until well done.
- Step 4: Fry onions, green chilies, and tomatoes, and add all the spices. Mix the fried shrimp into this gravy.
- Steps 5-6: Fry the washed rice in ghee and oil with whole spices. Add water and salt and cook until done.
- Step 7: Layer the rice, followed by the prawn gravy and the garnishes. Gently mix and combine well.
- Step 8: Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.
What to serve with Malabar Prawn Biryani?
The condiments that go with the Malabar Prawn biryani are salad with curd, cucumber onions, Pappad (rice fritters), and Pickle. It can be even had by itself without any sides. This is a great dish for potlucks and get-togethers. Read on for the detailed recipe, and cooking process.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Malabar Prawn Shrimp Biryani
Ingredients
For Rice
- 4 cups Rice Basmati or Kaima
- 4 tsp ghee or Clarified Butter
- 4 tsp oil
- 5-6 cloves
- 3-4 cinnamon (small pieces)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5-6 cardamoms
- ½ onion diced
- 1 tsp salt per taste
- 5 cups Water
For Shrimp/Prawn marination
- 1 packet shrimp fresh or frozen thawed (25-30)
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp salt to taste
- 2-3 curry leaves
For Masala
- 3-4 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 cup Onion sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup tomato
- 5-6 green chilies chopped
- ½ cup mint leaves finely chopped
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- ¼ cup curd
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp biryani masala or garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp fennel powder
For Garnish and Layering
- 2 onion cut into long thin stripes
- 10 cashews
- 10 raisins
- 5 tbsp ghee for frying
- 1 sprig mint
- 1 cup coriander leaves chopped
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3-4 saffron few strands
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Instructions
Shrimp(Prawn) Marination
- De-vein and clean the prawn with salt and water .
- Marinate it with the ingredients in the "For Shrimp/Prawn marination" section for about 15 to 20 mins
Rice Preparation and garnishes
- Wash the rice, drain and keep aside
- Heat a thick bottomed pan , add the ghee and oil
- Add the thin sliced onions and fry until crisp golden brown
- Add the cashews and raisins ,brown it as well
- The thin fried onions, cashews and raisins will be used for garnishing.
- In the remaining ghee and oil, add the spices under the "For rice" section
- Next add the diced onions and sautée
- After 2 mins add the washed rice
- Fry for about 5 to 7 mins until the rice turns opaque
- Add the salt and water and cook until done in a rice cooker
- Wait for the steam to be released and rice to be cooled.
- Soak the saffron in the milk and keep aside
Shrimp gravy Preparation
- Pour ghee and oil in a large deep bottomed pan and fry the shrimp for about 5 minutes.
- Drain and keep aside.
- Add a little more oil and ghee
- Add ginger garlic paste,green chillies and tomatoes and keep frying till it is mushy.
- Add chopped mint and coriander leaves
- Add dry spices red chilly powder, turmeric, pepper, fennel powder and garam masala ,sautée for another 5 mins
- Add curd and lemon juice and stir continuously
- Add ⅓ of the fried onions kept aside for garnish
- There should be a nice gravy by now
- Add the fried shrimp and mix well
- Add some chopped coriander leaves and squeeze a little lemon.
Layering biryani and garnishing
- Next process is layering of the biryani, transfer the cooked rice into a big bowl and garnish with fried onions,cashews ,raisins,chopped mint and coriander leaves
- Then add a layer of the shrimp gravy and repeat layering with rice, shrimp and again layer with garnish onions , nuts ,raisins, mint and coriander leaves.
- Gently mix and fluff so the gravy is evenly mixed into the rice.
- Squeeze half a lemon if you like (optional)
- .Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves, and the remaining garnishes.
- Add ghee, saffron soaked milk and sprinkle some garam masala on top of the rice.
- Cover with a tight lid and keep on the lowest heat for about 20 minutes
- Open the lid, fluff up the rice and biryani is now ready to be served.
- Accompaniments that are usually served with this dish are fritters (pappad), yogurt salad .Enjoy 🙂
Notes
- Start with the rice preparation so that by the time the Shrimp gravy is done, you can start the biryani layering process.
- To get crisp and brown onions, slice them thin and long and add a little salt so it cooks faster.
- Fennel powder is a key spice ingredient in this biryani and so is the garam masala.
- You can use either Basmati rice or JeeragaSamba (Kaima) rice for this dish.
Nutrition
This looks like a delicious dish that could make a great one-pot meal! My daughters and husband all LOVE shrimp, so I bet they would really enjoy this!
Yes absolutely right Flossie! A great one pot meal indeed , wonderful to hear that your family loves shrimp . The same at our place as well we love anything made with shrimp . I'm pretty sure you will love this .Enjoy!
Your prawn biryani looks so so good. I love all the spices and seasoning you have used. I'm sure it tastes amazing. On my to make list!
Thank you so much Jacqueline! You will absolutely love this delicious dish.
The shrimp biryani looks lip smacking and who can say no to biryani.
Thank you so much dear Lathiya! Absloutely right , it is difficult to refuse a biryani and that too a prawn/shrimp one 🙂 my favorite.
Aaaaaaahhhh, This is my fave Indian dish-I am not indian, but cook it for my family at my own house. Now that I have seen it, making it again this week.
Nice to hear that you cook Indian dishes , glad to hear you got the inspiration to try it again!
Shrimp Biryani is just awesome. Love the way you have presented step by step recipe. Keep up the good work and look forward for more such interesting and intriguing recipes.
Thank you so much!
Perfectly cooked rice and amazing burst of flavours! Malabar in a bowl with their speciality seafood. Great share!
Well said my friend indeed it has wonderful flavors!
Absolutely love the masala ❤ biryani is always ❤❤
Thanks dear! glad you like it!
Soooo yum! My kind of Biryani! X
Thank you Lorelle, it's my favorite as well!
I am drooling...thanks to you! 😉
Awww.Thanks for the lovely comment!
Love Biryani and this looks so delectable 😍 Beautifully presented 👌
Thanks a lot , hope you try this sometime, it is very delicious !
Wow! Looks scrumptious! 😛
Thanks so much!
Looking delicious 😋😋😋.
Thanks a lot!
Will try it soon..
I would be happy to hear how it turned out! Thank you!
This looks so good! Love the seasonings you have here.
Thank you Ronit, yes indeed the varieties of spices used gives the biryani a very unique flavor !
I have never thought about cinnamon in rice dish before! Great idea!!
Cinnamon and cloves are used in combination in many Indian biryanis and dishes and gives a wonderful taste and aroma! Thank you for stopping by!