A lip smacking biriyani where the ghee rice and prawn masala are cooked separately, assembled in a banana leaf, wrapped and steamed. This biriyani has a very nice flavor from the plantain leaf. I guarantee you’ll love it..
Link to recipe – https://www.yummyoyummy.com/2017/06/chemmeen-kizhi-biriyani.html
Ingredients (Serves 6)
1. Prawns – 1/2 kg (Around 35 – 40 medium or large)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
Salt – As required
2. Coconut oil – 2 – 3 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
3. Onion – 2.5 cups, thinly sliced and halved
4. Ginger – 1 – 1.5 inch, chopped
Garlic – 5 large cloves, chopped
Green chilies, medium spicy – 5 – 6, chopped
5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
6. Tomato – 2 small, chopped
7. Cashews – 10, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
Grated coconut – 1 – 1.5 tbsp
Cilantro / coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
Mint leaves – 10 – 15
Yoghurt – 2 – 3 tbsp
8. Garam masala powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp or to taste
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp (optional)
9. Salt – To taste
For rice
10. Biriyani rice / kaima rice – 2.5 cups
11. Ghee – 2 – 3 tbsp
12. Whole spices – cardamom – 5, cloves – 8, cinnamon sticks – two 1/2 inch pieces, bay leaves – 2 , black pepper corns – 1/2 tsp
Salt – To taste
Hot water – 5 cups
Other ingredients – for assembling
13. Fried onion – 3/4 cup
Fried cashews and raisins – 3 tbsp each
Cilantro / coriander leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped
Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped
Saffron – 1 pinch in 2 – 3 tbsp hot water
Rose water – 3 drops (Add 3 drops of rose water or 1/2 tsp kewra water to saffron water)
Method
1. Marinate the prawns with the remaining ingredients numbered 1. Set aside for 30 minutes – 1 hr.
2. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies to a coarse mixture and set aside.
3. Grind soaked cashews, grated coconut, mint, coriander leaves and yoghurt to a fine paste and set aside.
4. Heat 2 – 3 tbsp coconut oil + 2 tbsp ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Fry cashews until light golden. Add raisins and fry until plump. Fry 3/4 – 1 cup sliced onion until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel. Saute onion adding little salt until transparent. Add ginger-garlic-green chilly mixture. Saute until the onion mixture turns golden brown and their raw smell and taste disappears completely. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Cook for a minute over low heat. Add chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook for a few minutes tomato turns mushy and oil separates. Add cashew-yoghurt paste. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add marinated prawns, salt and mix well. Cook covered over low heat for 8 – 10 minutes stirring occasionally until prawns are done and gravy is thick. Add 1 tsp garam masala powder. Mix well and switch off. Sprinkle a tbsp of chopped mint and cilantro. Set aside.
6. Clean a few banana/plantain leaves (if the banana leaves are small, you may need 4 – 5) and wipe well. Place them over flame to make them soft and pliable (vazhayila vaattuka). Place 1/2 cup cooked rice (you can add more if the banana leaf is large) in the middle of the banana leaf. Top it with 4 – 5 pieces of shrimp masala. Top it with 1 cup of hot cooked rice followed by fried onions, cashews, raisins, chopped mint, and cilantro. Sprinkle some saffron water. Tie it tightly like a kizhi using a vazhanaru or a thin muslin cloth. Repeat until the rice and shrimp masala are used completely. (I used small rectangular plantain leaves so I wrapped and placed them inside an aluminium foil and wrapped them again tightly.)
7. Meanwhile fill the steamer / idli cooker with enough water. Bring it to a boil. Place the vazhayila kizhis (few at a time depending on the size of the vessel) inside the steamer and steam cook the biriyani for about 8 – 10 minutes. Take it outside and serve after 10 minutes. Serve with biriyani chammathi, dates lemon pickle, raita (recipe below) and pappadam.
Link to recipe – https://www.yummyoyummy.com/2017/06/chemmeen-kizhi-biriyani.html
Ingredients (Serves 6)
1. Prawns – 1/2 kg (Around 35 – 40 medium or large)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
Salt – As required
2. Coconut oil – 2 – 3 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
3. Onion – 2.5 cups, thinly sliced and halved
4. Ginger – 1 – 1.5 inch, chopped
Garlic – 5 large cloves, chopped
Green chilies, medium spicy – 5 – 6, chopped
5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
6. Tomato – 2 small, chopped
7. Cashews – 10, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
Grated coconut – 1 – 1.5 tbsp
Cilantro / coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
Mint leaves – 10 – 15
Yoghurt – 2 – 3 tbsp
8. Garam masala powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp or to taste
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp (optional)
9. Salt – To taste
For rice
10. Biriyani rice / kaima rice – 2.5 cups
11. Ghee – 2 – 3 tbsp
12. Whole spices – cardamom – 5, cloves – 8, cinnamon sticks – two 1/2 inch pieces, bay leaves – 2 , black pepper corns – 1/2 tsp
Salt – To taste
Hot water – 5 cups
Other ingredients – for assembling
13. Fried onion – 3/4 cup
Fried cashews and raisins – 3 tbsp each
Cilantro / coriander leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped
Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped
Saffron – 1 pinch in 2 – 3 tbsp hot water
Rose water – 3 drops (Add 3 drops of rose water or 1/2 tsp kewra water to saffron water)
Method
1. Marinate the prawns with the remaining ingredients numbered 1. Set aside for 30 minutes – 1 hr.
2. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies to a coarse mixture and set aside.
3. Grind soaked cashews, grated coconut, mint, coriander leaves and yoghurt to a fine paste and set aside.
4. Heat 2 – 3 tbsp coconut oil + 2 tbsp ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Fry cashews until light golden. Add raisins and fry until plump. Fry 3/4 – 1 cup sliced onion until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel. Saute onion adding little salt until transparent. Add ginger-garlic-green chilly mixture. Saute until the onion mixture turns golden brown and their raw smell and taste disappears completely. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Cook for a minute over low heat. Add chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook for a few minutes tomato turns mushy and oil separates. Add cashew-yoghurt paste. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add marinated prawns, salt and mix well. Cook covered over low heat for 8 – 10 minutes stirring occasionally until prawns are done and gravy is thick. Add 1 tsp garam masala powder. Mix well and switch off. Sprinkle a tbsp of chopped mint and cilantro. Set aside.
6. Clean a few banana/plantain leaves (if the banana leaves are small, you may need 4 – 5) and wipe well. Place them over flame to make them soft and pliable (vazhayila vaattuka). Place 1/2 cup cooked rice (you can add more if the banana leaf is large) in the middle of the banana leaf. Top it with 4 – 5 pieces of shrimp masala. Top it with 1 cup of hot cooked rice followed by fried onions, cashews, raisins, chopped mint, and cilantro. Sprinkle some saffron water. Tie it tightly like a kizhi using a vazhanaru or a thin muslin cloth. Repeat until the rice and shrimp masala are used completely. (I used small rectangular plantain leaves so I wrapped and placed them inside an aluminium foil and wrapped them again tightly.)
7. Meanwhile fill the steamer / idli cooker with enough water. Bring it to a boil. Place the vazhayila kizhis (few at a time depending on the size of the vessel) inside the steamer and steam cook the biriyani for about 8 – 10 minutes. Take it outside and serve after 10 minutes. Serve with biriyani chammathi, dates lemon pickle, raita (recipe below) and pappadam.
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