Loose Prawns

Loose Prawns is that starter on the menu which will always have most of the eyes looking for...If you have nailed it then there won't be any better dish around to enjoy with a bowl of Hot Soup! Here I present to you the recipe to enhance your taste buds for that lovely evening !!

Ingredients

Cleaned and Deveined Prawns - around 30 Medium ..(Deveining is very much important)

TIP 1: To remove smell of prawns, clean the prawns with some milk... Put Prawns in milk and keep washing them in that milk

After washing the prawns, fully dry them with Kitchen towel.. Do not forget this part.

Salt around - 1- tsp - For Taste.. Remember usually prawns are usually salty so be careful while adding salt

Black Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP ( You can add more if you want)

White Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP 

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 TBSP

1/2 Egg

Vinegar - 1 teaspoon

1 lemon

Corn Flour - 2 TBSP

Maida - 3/4 TBSP

Rice Flour - 1/2 TBSP

Mix them throughly and apply the marinade to all the prawns.. The consistency should be thick

Leave it for 1/2 rs...

Chopped Garlic - 20

Chopped Green chillies - 8

Preparation

Take oil in pan and put it in medium flame... The Oil shouldn't be too hot..If its too hot just switch off the flame and let it cool down... The temperature of oil is very important.

Now put the Prawns in the oil slowly such a way that entire Kadai is full of pieces.. This way pieces fry evenly.. Do not touch the prawns for 30 secs... Keep mixing the pieces intermittently until they are 3/4 th  cooked ( They should curl and also have slight golden brown color).... Typically takes 1 to 1.5 Mins of deep frying .. Now take them aside

After entire prawns are 3/4 th cooked take them out.  increase the flame to High for 2nd time frying... Now take pieces in small batches ..and put them in Hot Oil...The Oil should be very hot...Don't touch them until 20 secs... Now cook them for only 1 minutes... Prawns cook really fast so be careful about that...Don't over cook..

The colour will change to good golden brown colour.. Take them out.. 

Take a pan, add little oil and once the oil is hot put little turmeric ( You can add Turmeric while Marinating if you want and avoid here ) , garlic and green chillies... They will fry within 15-20 secs.. After that put the prawn pieces and toss them... The Prawn pieces will get a slight coating of garlic and chillies...

You can very well eat them on its own and relish each and every piece of goodness!!

Prawns Biryani - Who can resist?

Lovers of seafood will never leave any chance to devour this delectable dish.. Prawns and Biryani are 2 words which make us drool over and over....Prawns are something which are very difficult to cook... Reason being if you cook for lesser time, you will have that raw smell / taste and undercook.. If you overcook it, you will end up with a rubbery prawn which I am sure you definitely don't want.

Tips and timings in this regard always help.. Don't miss them in the following post..

Here goes Prawns Biryani Recipe

To Serve 3-4 people depending on an average appetite :)

Prawns -25-30 Prawns medium sized

Marination

add 1 tsp salt, 1 .5 tsp Chilli Powder 1.5 tsp GingerGarlic Paste 1 tsp Coriander Powder 1 tsp Cumin Powder

Mix all of them thoroughly and keep them aside for 10-15 Minutes

TIP 1 : Don't marinate Prawns for long as salt will pull out all the water from the Prawn... We do not want to lose moisture in Prawns before...

Now take a Flat Bottom Wide Pan… Put 3 TBSP Oil in it…Put the pan of the medium to High Heat ( Around 6 Number in US Stoves)… Try to see that oil is spread across the entire pan… The Oil should kind of start spluttering… That's when put the prawns carefully inside.. wait for 45 seconds and flip the prawns… The prawns should change colour ( turn from translucent to white ) After flipping wait for 30 seconds and flip the prawns again….

TIP 2: Remember the order in which you put the prawns inside the pan. Try to put in circular shape...While Flipping ensure that you follow the same order...

Keep Flipping them twice gently

Lower the Heat to SIM ( Number 3 in US ) Add 3 TBSP of Curd or Yoghurt 1 tsp of coriander powder 1 tsp of Cumin powder 1 tsp of salt 1 tsp of Chilli powder .5 tsp of Garam Masala powder 1 tsp of Biryani Masala ( Shan Biryani Masala) 1 handful of Brown Fried Onions 1 handful of coriander leaves and some mint leaves

Now increase the temperature from SIM to MEDIUM ( 3 to 6 again)… Keep Stirring the entire mixture for 2 minutes…. All the oil will come out and forms a good texture…. Now, switch off the flame and allow it to cool..Take out excess Oil from the mixture if you feel…

Soak 2 cups of Biryani Rice for 30-40 minutes

Take Plenty of Water… (Around 2 ltrs water)

Put 2 heap full of Tsp Salt in it 1 tsp Ghee 1 Black Cardamom 4-5 Green Cardamom 8 Cloves 2 inches worth of cinnamon 1 tsp Shahi Jeera

Let the water come to the boil… Now add the soaked rice… Keep Checking the Rice.. as soon as the Rice Grains start Twirling upside down, it is an indication to take out and drain the rice….It takes close to 3.5 to 4 Minutes …

TIP 3: Since rice to water ratio is more here, the rice will cook really fast and keep a close watch.. The Rice should be 85% -90% cooked.

The time taken to cook the rice is exactly the time needed for the prawns to cool down and soak in the masala etc…

Now start heating the prawns pan again and put it at little above SIM (Number 4 )for around 30 secs or so….. After 30 secs start adding the rice.. On the top, add the Brown Fried Onions, Ghee, 1 tsp of Biryani Masala, .5 tsp of salt, little Garam Masala, some coriander leaves, some mint leaves… Cover the entire Pan with 2 layers of Aluminium Foil, put the lid on.. Turn the heat to SIM ( Number 2). And leave it on for around 20 Minutes….

After 20 Minutes take and serve the wonderful Prawns Biryani !!! Please leave your comments and post pictures here