My Mama’s Parsi Prawn Pulao

Instructions

1. Soak the basmati rice in boiling water for 1 hour before cooking
2. Pre-heat oven to 200°C
3. Deep fry the sliced onion in oil until dark golden and crispy, drain on kitchen paper and set aside
4. Grind the chillis, garlic and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle (or blender) to a fine paste
5. In a large pan over medium heat with a little oil fry the paste for 5 mins
6. Add in all the whole spices, turmeric, salt and pepper, then sauté for a further few mins
7. Tip in the chopped tomato, spring onions and 3/4 of the coriander, as well as 3/4 of the fried onions, sauté for 10 mins until it becomes a paste like consistency
8. Then pour in the stock and simmer for another 20 mins until bubbling
9. Meanwhile, in another frying pan with a little oil, sauté the prawns on high heat with salt and turmeric, set aside once pink and cooked through, about 4-5 mins
10. Add prawns with all the pan juices to the gravy, combine well and heat through
11. To cook the rice; drain the rice in a colander, place back into the same pan it was soaking in, and top with fresh boiling water
12. Add to the rice the whole spices and turmeric and boil until cooked, drain once more through a colander, return to the rice pan, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 5 mins, set aside
13. In an oven proof serving dish layer the pulao by adding a little gravy to the bottom of the dish, then half of the rice followed by half of the prawn masala
14. Sprinkle half the remaining coriander and half the remaining fried onions.  Repeat this process of layering the last of the rice, prawn masala, coriander and fried onions
15. Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for 20 mins
16. Serve hot with Parsi achaar (pickle) and enjoy!