It has been
a while that I updated a recipe on my blog. It is not that I have not been
cooking, I have; it is just that sometimes 24 hours seems too short to do all
you wish to. The other day a friend ‘E’, who had previously shared her precious
Bread Pudding recipe with me came to work and got some Prawn Pilaf, I ate and
instantly liked it, it was mild with no strong flavors and just right for my
taste. I had to make it the following weekend, considering the food freak I am.
I made it and
it was an instant hit at my place. I made the same Pilaf with Chicken a few
days later, I did not click any pictures though, but Chicken Pilaf can be made
with this same recipe as well, only the Chicken is not pre-fried.
No stories
today though, it is 21.12.2012, the day the world was supposed to end. It has
not yet and it is already mid day where I am. In New Zealand, Australia and some
other countries it is evening, so I guess the end has been postponed. I read
this at a little girls (the reason I call her a little girl is because the last
time I saw her, she was indeed little) wall on FB the other day ‘Given the rate
at which we are regressing as a human race, I sincerely do hope the Mayans were
right’ – so true – after the recent events in our National Capital, I feel
ashamed to call myself an independent citizen or the fact that we live in a
democracy. But this is too big an issue to be placed or discussed here. I leave
you with my recipe with a very heavy heart & a prayer that the budding young
girl can sustain the scars to her body and soul and recover. Thank you.
Here
is what
you will need to make the Shrimp / Prawn Pilaf:
Shrimps /
Prawns – about 300 gms – deveined and washed
Basmati
Rice – washed – 2 cups
Cooking Oil
– 2 tbsps
Bay Leaf –
2
Green
Cardamoms – 4
Black
Cardamoms – 2
Cinnamon –
1” stick
Cloves – 4
Whole Black
Pepper – 7-8
Ginger
paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic
paste – 2 tbsp
Green Chili
Paste – 1tbsp (we like it hot, decrease if you want it mild)
Onions – 2 medium
– thinly sliced
Peas – half
cup (optional, it was in season hence I added)
Tomatoes –
1 medium – chopped
Biryani Masala Powder – 1tbsp (optional)
Turmeric
Powder – 1tsp
Salt to
taste
Sugar to
balance
Luke Warm
Water – 4 cups + a little more if needed
Clarified
Butter / Ghee – to drizzle on top
Preparation:
Heat 2 tbsp
of Cooking Oil in a vessel and shallow fry the deveined and cleaned Shrimps and
set aside. The Oil will be fully flavored from the just fried Shrimps. Use the
same Oil.
Add a
little more Oil if needed, about 1 tsp, heat. Add the Bay Leaves, Cinnamon,
Green and Black Cardamoms, Peppercorns and Cloves and let them sizzle for 30
seconds.
Add the
sliced Onions and fry them for 5 minutes in the same oil.
Add the
Ginger-Garlic-Green Chili Paste and keep frying.
Add the
Peas, stir.
Add the
Tomatoes.
Add the
Sugar, Salt, Turmeric Powder and Biryani
Masala Powder, mix. Keep frying for some time.
Add the
washed Basmati Rice, I did not soak the Rice at all. Mix thoroughly.
I add
exactly double the quantity of Luke Warm Water to cook my Rice, if you use more
or less, you will be the best judge. I slow cook this for the flavors to
incorporate into each other. I cooked this at the lowest flame of my burner.
When the
Rice was almost done, I added the Shrimps and mixed it one last time.
Switch off
the Stove when you feel the Rice is done, if the top layer is a little
underdone, do not worry, give it one good mix very gently, cover and let it sit
for 10 minutes before you eat. The top layer which was a little underdone, will
get done by then. Drizzle 1tsp of molten Clarified Butter for extra flavors, I
did not.
Serve hot.
