26 June, 2021

prawn biryani recipe

Comments : 2 Posted in : Non-vegetarian recipes on June 26, 2021 by : Recipe Hub

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Spicy prawn biryani recipe

Prawn biryani holds a special place among the most sought-after biryani varieties in the southern part of India, following closely behind mutton and chicken biryani. Renowned for its unique flavor and mouthwatering taste, this delightful dish stands apart from other biryani variations.

Raw prawns may have a fishy smell, but once cooked, they transform into tender, fleshy delights with a delightful sweetness. In this prawn biryani recipe, we’ve adopted a slightly spicy version, commonly relished in South Indian restaurants. If you prefer a milder taste, simply reduce the masala quantity by a quarter, tailoring it to suit your preferences

The following spicy prawn biryani recipe is prepared without a pressure cooker. For alternative methods, including using a pressure cooker, please find instructions at the bottom of this page.

To complement the spicy and flavorful prawn biryani, serve it with raita, which balances the taste and adds a refreshing element to the meal.

Spicy prawn biryani south indian style

Prawn biryani ingredients :

Prawn marination

• 250 Grams Prawns
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp curd

Prawn biryani :

• 4 tbsp Oil
• 1 Bay leaf
• 5 to 7 Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Fennel
• 1 Star anis
• 2 Cinnamon
• 3 Cardamom
• 1 Clove
• 1 Stone flower
• 1 Cup Onion
• 2 Green chilli
• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 Cup Mint leaves
• 1/4 Cup Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• 1/2 Cup Tomato
• 3 tbsp Curd
• 1 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Basmati rice
• 2 tsp Ghee
• Few chopped coriander leaves

How to make spicy prawn biryani south indian style

Step 1: Marinate the prawns for spicy prawn biryani

• In a bowl, combine 250 grams of prawns with the following marinade ingredients:
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp curd
Mix all the ingredients well, ensuring the prawns are evenly coated with the flavorful marinade.

• Cover the bowl and let the prawns rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes. This allows the prawns to absorb the rich flavors of the masalas, resulting in a delicious and succulent dish.

Step 2:

• Next, heat a kadai with 3 tbsp of oil and shallow fry all the marinated prawns. Cook them on both sides until they turn a beautiful golden brown, achieving a delectable texture and flavor.

• Once the prawns are perfectly cooked, remove them from the kadai and place them on a separate plate. This step ensures that the fried prawns remain crispy and flavorful.

Step 3:

• After removing the excess masala from the oil in the kadai, use the same kadai to cook the biryani.

• Add the following spices to the kadai:
1 Bay leaf, 5 to 7 Black pepper, 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds, 1 Star anise, 2 Cinnamon sticks, 3 Cardamom pods, 1 Clove, and 1 Stone flower. Sauté the spices for a few seconds until their aromatic flavors are released.

• Now, add 1 cup of sliced onions to the kadai and sauté them well until they turn translucent.


• Next, add 2 green chilies and 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to the sautéed onions. Mix the ingredients well, covering and cooking for a few seconds until the raw smell fades away.

Step 4:

• After the ginger garlic paste is cooked, add 1/4 cup of finely chopped mint leaves and 1/4 cup of coriander leaves to the kadai.

• Sauté the leaves for a few seconds, allowing their refreshing flavors to infuse into the dish.

Step 5:

• Now, add all the masalas to the kadai:

• 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of red chili powder, and 1/2 tsp of garam masala. Mix the masalas well with the other ingredients, allowing them to infuse the dish with their rich and aromatic flavors.


• Cook the mixture for a few seconds, ensuring that the masalas are well combined with the rest of the ingredients.

Step 6:

• Next, add 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes and 3 tbsp of curd to the kadai. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, ensuring that the tomatoes and curd are well combined with the spices and other elements.


• Cover the kadai and let the mixture cook for a minute. During this time, the tomatoes should soften and mash completely, creating a luscious and flavorful base for the prawn biryani.

Step 7:

• Now, add the previously fried prawns back to the masala mixture. Mix the succulent prawns thoroughly with the rich and aromatic masala, ensuring they are coated evenly for a delightful burst of flavors in every bite.

Step 8:

• Finally, add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil over high flame. Close the pan with a lid during this process to retain the steam and flavors.

• Once the water starts boiling, reduce the flame to low. Now, gently add the soaked basmati rice to the pan, ensuring even distribution within the mixture.

• Cover the pan with a lid and let the rice cook on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, the rice will absorb the water, resulting in perfectly cooked and fluffy grains.

• After 15 minutes, check that the water is completely absorbed, and the rice is fully cooked. Your delectable prawn biryani is now ready to serve.

• Optionally, for an extra burst of flavor, add 2 tsp of ghee and a generous handful of chopped coriander leaves to the cooked prawn biryani. The ghee will impart a rich and aromatic taste, while the fresh coriander leaves add a refreshing note.

• Close the pan and let the biryani rest for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the rice to absorb the ghee and coriander essence.

Spicy prawn rice is ready!

How to make spicy prawn biryani south indian style video recipe

How to make prawn biryani south Indian style recipe card:

1. How to make prawn biryani in pressure cooker:

1. Marinate and shallow fry the prawns and keep them ready.
2. Next, in a pressure cooker add oil and spices. Saute for a few seconds
3. Once done, add chopped green chilli and sliced onions. Cook until onions are translucent and then add ginger garlic paste. Mix and cook the ginger-garlic pastes until the raw smell fades away.
4. Next, add coriander and mint leaves to the onion-garlic mixture and mix well.
5. Now add the masalas listed in the ingredients, mix well, and cook the masala for a minute by closing the cooker with a plate.
6. Now add sliced tomatoes and cook well until mashed.
7. Finally, add some whipped curd and cook until oil separates from the mixture. At this point add the shallow fried prawns and give it a good mix(Alternate: wait until rice and water are added and then just place the shallow fried prawns instead of mixing it with the mixture. This method keeps the masala in the prawns solid.)
8. Now add soaked basmati rice and water. Gently mix it once.
9. Now close the lid of the pressure cooker and place the weight. Pressure cook for 3 whistles on medium to high flame.
10. After three whistles, wait for the pressure to release naturally and completely.
11. Followed by fluffing the cooked basmati rice from the corners.
12. For the last time, once the prawn biryani is fluffed, close the cooker with a plate and allow it to rest for another 5 minutes before serving. This helps the rice to absorb the flavours completely.

prawn biryani in a pressure cooker is ready to serve!

2. Prawn biryani with vegetables:

This is very similar to the method listed above only difference is adding vegetables after cooking ginger garlic paste or shallow frying it along with the prawns and adding it later after the curd is cooked.

3. Prawn biryani without tomato:

1. Marinate and shallow fry the prawns.
2. Crisp fry a medium onion cut into slices.
3. Next, make biryani masala gravy as listed above only without tomato. Instead of tomato add fresh lime juice along with curd while cooking.
4. Now cook the basmati rice in a separate pan until 90 percent done.
5. Now layer the prawn biryani. The first layer being, half of the prawn biryani masala and then add half of the shallow fried prawns and top it off with the next layer of rice and following it add the rest of the prawn biryani gravy. Finally, add the rest of the rice along with the fried onions and some ghee.
6. Now close the lid and place some weight above it. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the lid and fluff from the side and serve hot prawn biryani without tomato.

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