Name: Prawn Pulao | Shrimp Pulao
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 250 grams prawns, (cleaned and deveined, about 20 medium-sized prawns); 1/2 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon turmeric; 1 cup basmati rice (210 grams); 2 tablespoons ghee; ½ teaspoon shahi jeera; 2 bay leaves,; 1 inch cinnamon; 1 star anise; 4 green cardamom; 2 cloves; 3 to 4 black peppercorns; 1 cup thinly sliced onion, (110 grams); 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste; 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise); 1 teaspoon coriander powder; ½ teaspoon cumin powder; ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, (you may add more for more heat); ½ teaspoon garam masala; ½ teaspoon turmeric; 2 medium tomatoes, (finely chopped, about ¾ cup, 120 grams); 1 teaspoon table salt, (or to taste); 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, (divided); ½ tablespoon lemon juice

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Prawn pulao (shrimp pulao) is a yummy, one-pot rice dish featuring tender prawns and fragrant basmati rice, flavored with aromatic herbs and spices.

Prawn pulao served on an irregular speckled tray

Let me start by saying I just love seafood. Prawns have always been on top of my list, second only to crabs. I love the mildly sweet and meaty texture of the prawns. Secondly, they can be cooked in a jiffy which is why I always have some prawns stashed in my freezer for a quick meal.

This one-pot prawn pulav recipe is so easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. Have it with some kachumber or salad for a simple yet hearty meal.

I usually resort to making pulao or biryani on Sundays, especially biryani, since it does involve some amount of prep work. But IMHO pulao makes for a great weekday meal when you are short on time! Besides, who doesn’t love one-pot meals?

Prawns are known as jhinga in Hindi, so it is also known as jhinga pulao. There are quite a number of ways of preparing prawn pulao.

Mom usually prepares it the Goan way which is quite mild. It relies on some whole spices, turmeric, bouillon, and coconut milk for flavor. I will be sure to share that with you some other time.

Today, I’m sharing a slightly different version of prawn pulao, kind of a masaledar version. The flavor leans more towards biryani since it is packed with spices and is uber delicious. The only difference is that it is not layered, but rather cooked in one pot!

Overhead shot of prawn pulao served with kachumber salad and lemon wedges

Table of Contents

Why you will love this recipe?

This prawn pilaf;

☑ Is a flavorful one-pot dish

☑ Can be customized to suit your palate

☑ Is great to be served at parties, potlucks, or house gatherings

☑ Can be easily scaled

☑ Is gluten-free

Ingredients needed

Rice: I’ve used aged basmati rice. You may use long-grained or short-grained rice of your choice. But please be sure to use the correct ratio of water for the kind of rice you opt for.

Prawns: I’ve used medium-sized prawns here. You could use large, jumbo, colossal-size prawns, etc as well. You could also use sea, river, or farmed prawns. Do not opt for very small prawns as they will kind of get lost amongst the rice grains.

Aromatics: Onions, fresh ginger, and garlic. I’m not a fan of the store-bought ginger garlic paste as it pales in comparison to homemade paste. But, if that is all you have, feel free to use it.

Tomatoes: Add a subtle tangy flavor to the pulao.

Whole spices: You will need a mix of whole spices like shahi jeera, green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, mace, and bay leaves. The spices release a lovely aroma when tempered in ghee.

Powdered spices: Along with the whole spices, you will also need basic Indian spices from your masala dabba, like spicy red chili powder, cumin, coriander powder, turmeric, and garam masala, along with some salt.

Cooking fat: I’ve used ghee, but you can also use vegetable oil.

Lemon juice: A little amount of acid added to the water while cooking prevents the rice grains from sticking together and helps make them fluffier.

How to make prawn pulao recipe –

Step 1: Soak rice and marinate prawns

Rinse the rice 3 to 4 times with water until it runs clear to remove excess starch. Add 2 cups of water and soak the rice for 15 to 20 minutes. (Photos 1 to 4)

Marinate the prawns with ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon each of black pepper and turmeric. Set aside for 15 minutes. (Photos 5 and 6)

Prep your ingredients in the meanwhile.

Basmati rice rinsed, drained and soaked in water. Prawns marinated with salt, black pepper, and turmeric

Step 2: Cook onion-tomato masala and prawns

Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon shahi jeera, 2 bay leaves, 1-inch cinnamon, 1-star anise, 4 green cardamom, 2 cloves, and 3 to 4 black peppercorns, and saute for about 30 seconds. (Photo 7)

Add 1 cup thinly sliced onion, and saute until it turns golden brown. (Photos 8 and 9)

Next, add 1 tablespoon of coarsely crushed ginger-garlic paste and 2 to 3 green chilies, and saute until fragrant. (Photos 10 to 12)

Whole spices, onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies sauteed in ghee

Add 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon of red chili powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric. (Photos 13 to 17)

Saute for about 30 seconds. Add a few splashes of water if needed to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (Photo 18)

Coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric added to onion mix and sauteed until fragrant

Add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes and salt to taste. Mix well, and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and fat separates from the sides. You can add a few tablespoons of water if needed to cook the tomatoes. (Photos 19 and 20)

Add the marinated prawns, and cook on medium-high heat just until it turns opaque (about 1 minute). (Photos 21 and 22)

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves, and mix. (Photos 23 and 24)

Tomatoes, salt added to onion and spice mixture and sauteed well. Prawns and coriander leaves added to onion-tomato masala

Step 3: Add rice and water, and cook the prawn pulao

Add the drained basmati rice, and mix it well, so that the grains get coated evenly with the masala. (Photos 25 and 26)

Add 1¾ cups of water, and ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, and bring to a boil. (Photos 27 and 30)

Rice added and sauteed with onion-tomatoes, and prawns. Water and lemon juice added to rice mixture.

Cover and simmer on low heat until all the water is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked (about 15 minutes). (Photo 31)

Switch off the heat, and leave it undisturbed for another 15 minutes.(Photo 32)

Fluff the rice gently, garnish with more coriander leaves and serve hot! (Photos 33 and 34)

Pot covered with a lid and pulao cooked on low heat until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. Rice fluffed gently with a slotted spatula and garnished with coriander leaves.

Serving suggestions

This prawn pulao is a yummy standalone dish. It doesn’t need many sides.

A raita or salad is more than enough to serve as an accompaniment.

Sometimes, I serve it along with boiled eggs.

You can also serve it along with some papad and pickle.

Storage instructions

Leftovers: Allow the pulao to cool down completely. Store leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freeze: Portion out individual servings in freezer-safe airtight containers or Ziptop bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheat: Transfer it in a skillet or pot, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Reheat on medium-low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir frequently to prevent the rice grains from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.

Recipe tips

Use stock instead of water: You can use seafood stock or just prawn stock instead of plain water to amp up the flavor of this pulao. Feel free to add one small chicken or vegetable bouillon cube (Maggi stock cube) or 1 teaspoon of better than bouillon lobster base. Please skip or reduce the salt in the recipe accordingly.

Rice-to-water ratio: Most pulao recipes call for a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. But since the rice is soaked for about 30 minutes here, I highly suggest cutting back on the water for perfectly cooked rice grains that are fluffy and distinct. Follow the quantities mentioned in the recipe.

Prawns: You can use either fresh or frozen prawns. If using frozen, thaw and then use. If cleaning fresh prawns yourself, be sure to devein them. I like to leave the tails on as it gives them a nice appearance. Feel free to remove them if you like.

Do not overcook the prawns: You need to saute the prawns just until they turn opaque. Keep in mind that they will further cook with the rice for another 10 to 15 minutes. Cooking it too much initially will just make them hard and rubbery.

Spices: Feel free to play around with the amount of spices. If you prefer a brownish-colored pulao, skip the turmeric. You can also add pulao masala or biryani masala instead of garam masala.

45 degree angle shot of jhinga biryani served on a white speckled platter

Variations

Shrimp pulao: Substitute the prawns with shrimp if you like.

Add vegetables: You can add some diced carrots, potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, cauliflower, or green peas to this pulao.

Green prawn pulao: Skip adding ginger garlic paste after sauteing onion if you want to make this version. Instead make a paste of about 1 cup of coriander leaves, green chilies, 1-inch ginger, and 10 to 12 garlic cloves. You can also add about 1/4 to 1/2 cups of freshly grated coconut if you like. Add this paste after sauteeing the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Then add prawns and follow the rest of the recipe.

Mint leaves: You can also add a few mint leaves along with coriander leaves.

Coconut milk: Swap 3/4 cup of water with light coconut milk.

Spicy: This recipe is not very spicy. If you prefer spicy pulao, add the dark green variety of chilies or use serrano peppers, and add more red chili powder/cayenne pepper.

Make it with cooked rice: Follow the recipe as such, and add 3 cups of cold cooked rice (a day old preferably) instead of the drained raw rice. Toss gently until the rice is well combined with the masala.

Quinoa: Swap the rice with quinoa for a twist.

Saffron: For a royal touch, add about 2 tablespoons of saffron water (a pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons of hot water for 10 minutes).

Birista garnish: For a festive touch, sprinkle some crispy fried onions while serving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use brown basmati rice?

I don’t recommend using brown rice here. Brown rice takes a long time to cook, and the prawns will definitely overcook and turn rubbery!

If you must use brown rice, saute the prawns separately and add them to the pulao towards the end of cooking (after most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice). Add the sauteed prawns, cover, and let it stand undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Can I make prawn pulao in the pressure cooker?

I personally do not prefer pressure cooking prawns since they do tend to overcook. You may saute the prawns in the pressure cooker first and set them aside on a plate.

Follow the same recipe as the stovetop method, but use 1.5 cups of liquid for 1 cup of basmati rice. Pressure cook the pulao for 2 whistles over medium heat, switch off the heat, and let it depressurize.

Then open the lid, add the sauteed prawns in one layer, close the lid and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes (gas should be switched off). Then fluff the rice gently.

How to make it in the Instant Pot

Follow the same process as the stovetop pressure cooker. Use 1 cup water (firm) to 1.25 cups water (softer) for 1 cup of rice, depending on your preferred rice consistency. Pressure cook on ‘HIGH’ for 5 minutes, followed by ‘NPR’ for 10 minutes.

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