Prawn Biryani

Ever wanted to make biryani at home, but felt overwhelmed by all the long, complicated recipes out there? This easy prawn biryani (also known as shrimp biryani) is for you! Fluffy basmati rice is layered with juicy prawns in a spiced tomato, mint and caramelized onion gravy, then steamed so every grain soaks up all that flavor. It’s an absolutely show-stopping dish, made with easy-to-find ingredients and simple steps.

I simplified the steps as much as I could, so biryani can be part of your regular weeknight rotation, but it’s special enough for when you have people over. The spice level is moderate too, and my kids actually asked for a second plate each! If you love prawns, you’ll also want to try my Instant Pot shrimp curry and garlic honey prawns.

Jump to:

• What makes this a great Every Little Crumb recipe:
• What is prawn biryani?
• Ingredients you need:
• How to make prawn biryani:
• Pro Tip
• How to serve:
• Recipe variations:
• Storing Leftovers:
• Expert tips and tricks:
• Top Tip
• Recipe FAQs:
• If you liked this recipe, you might like:
• Pairing:
• Prawn Biryani

What makes this a great Every Little Crumb recipe:

• Simplified steps: all the flavor of a classic biryani, without the convoluted method.
• Easy-to-find ingredients: a ready-made biryani masala blend, boosted with a few everyday spices.
• Quick-cooking prawns: they only need about 3 minutes in the gravy.
• Kid-friendly: a moderate spice level that you can easily adjust.
• Impressive for guests: a beautiful layered rice dish that looks like way more work than it is.

What is prawn biryani?

Biryani is a delicious rice dish made by layering rice with a mixture of yogurt and spice-marinated meat, chicken or prawns. In this version, the prawns are marinated in yogurt and ginger garlic paste, cooked in a spiced tomato gravy, then layered with basmati rice and steamed. The combination is fantastic!

This recipe is adapted from Indian Healthy Recipes. It seemed like the simplest one to follow, and I changed it up based on my preferences.

Ingredients you need:

I used ingredients that are very easy to find. Instead of making a homemade biryani spice blend, I used a ready-made biryani masala and added a few more spices.

• Basmati rice: the way to go for biryani. Cooked with a bay leaf and a few cardamom pods.
• Prawns (shrimp): small or large both work, just adjust the cooking time to their size. You need 300 g (about 12 ounces) after peeling and cleaning.
• Yogurt: plain or Greek, for the marinade.
• Ginger garlic paste: store-bought, or make your own with my ginger garlic paste recipe.
• Spices for the marinade: biryani masala, turmeric, red chili powder and salt.
• Onion: one large yellow onion, thinly sliced and caramelized.
• Whole spices: bay leaves, cardamom pods and cloves.
• Spice powders: cumin, cinnamon, biryani masala, red chili powder, salt and pepper.
• Canned diced tomatoes: with all of their liquid.
• Fresh herbs: chopped mint and coriander.

See recipe card for quantities.

A note on chili powder: red chili powder isn’t the same as cayenne pepper, which would add a LOT of heat! For a milder biryani with a lovely red color, you can use Kashmiri red chili powder instead, and adjust the amount to taste.

How to choose prawns for biryani:

• Fresh or frozen: both work well. If you’re using frozen prawns, thaw them completely, either overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of cold water, then drain and pat them dry.
• Buy raw, not cooked: raw prawns soak up the marinade and cook in the gravy. Pre-cooked prawns would turn rubbery.
• Peeled and deveined: saves you a lot of prep time. Tails on or off is up to you.
• Size: any size works. The numbers on the pack (like 16/20) tell you roughly how many prawns are in a pound, so the lower the number, the bigger the prawns. Bigger prawns need a little longer to cook.

How to make prawn biryani:

1. Step 1: Rinse the rice well, soak it for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse again. This gets rid of the extra starch so every grain stays separate, not mushy.
2. Step 2: Bring the water to a boil with the bay leaf and cardamom pods. Add the rice, bring back to a boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed, then let it stand off the heat for about 5 minutes.

9. Step 9: Cover the pot with a very tight-fitting lid or a tight layer of foil and steam on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then uncover and serve hot.

Hint: Don’t overcook the prawns in the gravy! They only need about 3 minutes, and they’ll keep warming through as the biryani steams.

Storing Leftovers:

• Fridge: let the biryani cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: sprinkle with a splash of water, cover and reheat in the microwave or in a pan over low heat until piping hot. Only reheat what you’ll eat.
• Freezing: freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month, then thaw overnight in the fridge. The prawns may firm up a little after freezing.
• Ginger garlic paste: leftover homemade paste keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Expert tips and tricks:

• Use a heavy-bottomed pan for the onions so they brown evenly without burning.
• Make the gravy while the rice cooks to save time.
• Seal the pot tightly when steaming so the flavors infuse the rice.
• Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving so the rice firms up and the flavors settle.

Recipe FAQs:

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing:

These go great with prawn biryani:

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