Prawns and Potato Pulao

This delicious Prawns and Potato Pulao recipe is from the shores of Sindh , Pakistan. Rice is eaten at least once a day in Sindhi homes, on auspicious occasions pulaos with elaborate garnishing are prepared.

Fish and prawns are an integral part of their daily diet, with an access to both fresh water fish from River Indus on one side and luscious seafood from the Arabian Sea on the other.
Pulao is another rich rice dish of Mughal origin in South Asia, but has been adapted by Sindhis to make it uniquely theirs.

Pulao is different from Biryani in taste and cooking method as it is cooked in some stock, using the absorption method. This pulao is cooked in prawns stock but you can also use chicken or vegetable stock for it. Few simple ingredients are put together in this Prawns and Potato Pulao to shine together as a scrumptious dish.

2+1/2 cups long grained basmati rice
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
7-8 black peppercorn
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons salt
12 prawns2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt for marinating prawns
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons more vegetable oil for stir frying prawns
2 eggs, hard boiled

Wash the rice, drain and set aside.

Separate prawns heads and tails. Marinate prawns in 1 teaspoon salt and lemon juice, set aside for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, add prawn heads and tails to a saucepan, add bay leaves and 5 cups of water. Let simmer on medium low heat for 10 minutes. Drain and keep the stock to cook the rice.

Heat oil in a wide mouthed, deep pan on medium heat. Fry onions till golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cardamoms, black peppercorn, turmeric and salt. Stir fry for an other minute.

Add potatoes and rice, add hot prawns stock, should make 4+1/2 cups. The stock should come 1 inch above the contents of the pan, if its lower than that, add a little water.

Cover the pan, cook on medium heat till the rice absorb all the liquid, almost 12-14 minutes.

Place a skillet under the pan, wrap the lid of the pan in a clean cotton towel, cover the pan, reduce heat to lowest and leave the rice for 10-15. This will make rice fluffy and flavourful.

Rinse the prawns under cold water, stir fry for 2-3 minutes or till they turn pink. Stir into the Pulao right before serving, we do not want to overcook the prawns.
Serve the Pulao with hard boiled egg slices and onion rings.

Serves 4