JHEENGA BIRYANI (PRAWNS)

Cooking Time:  1 hour 30 minutes.
Prep Time: 30 minutes.
Total Time: 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Prawns (Remove head, shell, and devein and then clean): 
2. Yoghurt:  3/4 cup 
3. Tomatoes:  3
4. Red Chilli Powder:  2 tsp
5. Cumin Powder:  1 tsp  
6. Coriander Powder:  1 tsp
7. Salt:  1 tsp
8. Ground Turmeric:  1/4 tsp
9. Garam Masala Powder:  1 tsp
10. Garlic Paste:  1 tsp
11. Ginger Paste:  1 tsp
12. Oil:  1/2 cup
13. Onion: 2 large, thinely slices
14. Green Chillies:  2-3
15. Lemon Juice: 1
16. Dried Plums or Aaloobukhara:  5-6
17. Zarda or Yellow food color:
18. Kewra water:  1 tbs
19. Rice:  1/2 kg
20. Bay leaf:  1
21. Garam Masala Whole:

• 1" piece of cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 3-4 Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Cumin leaves
• 1 Black Cardamom

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil 1/2 cup in a pan over a medium heat+ add onions and cook until it brown (drain and remove 1/4 brown onions from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later).
2. Add ginger 1 tsp & garlic paste 1 tsps and stir for 3 minutes, add tomatoes 3.
3. Add all the dry and wet masala ingredients prepared earlier and fry till the oil begins to separate from the whole mix (add salt 1 tsp, Red chilli powder 2 tsp, garam masala powder 1 tsp, yoghurt 3/4 cup, turmeric 1/4 tsp, cumin powder 1 tsp, corriander powder 1 tsp.
4. Add Prawns 1/2 kg, Plums 5-6, green chillies, corriander leaves and cover the pot and cook on medium flame.
5. Stir and allow to cook till the prawns are done. Do not overcook as the prawns will get rubbery in texture. Season with salt if required. Remove from fire.
6. Wash the rice. Soak it in warm water for 30 minutes.
7. Boil water with salt 2 tsp, bay leaves and Whole Garam Masala and when water boils, add rice and cook till three forth done, drain remaining water and keep aside.
8. Take a large pot  (it MUST have its own cover) . Layer the rice and prawn as follows: rice - prawn - rice. End with a layer of rice.
9. Pour oil 2 tbs.
10. Pour the Kewra water + Zarda or yellow food color and lemon juice over the top of the last layer of rice.
11. Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped corainder leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
12. Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.