If you’re tired of the same old biryanis, try this Goan inspired recipe for Shrimp (Prawn) Biryani. This amazing Shrimp Biryani is very simple and easy to make and what’s even better is that it is a one-pot dish and can be made in under an hour! With the creaminess of coconut milk and freshness of mint, it is a wonderful change to the usual biryanis and yet, the shrimp flavor is very pronounced. This is one dish that’s going to have you keep going back for more.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves – 4
Ingredients:
Shrimp – 1/2 lb, cleaned and deveined (tail on or off)
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Green Cardamom – 2
Cloves – 2
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1″ piece
Ginger, Garlic & Green Chillies – 2 tbsp
Fried Onions – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes – 2 med, chopped
Salt – to taste
Red Chilli Powder – to taste
Mint Leaves – handful, chopped
Coconut Milk – 2 cups
Basmati Rice – 1 cup, washed and drained, but NOT soaked
Clarified Butter/Ghee – 1 Tbsp, for garnishing
Method:
1. Heat Oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Green Cardamom and Cloves and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add Ginger/Garlic/Green Chili paste and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add Fried Onions and mix.
4. Add Tomatoes and Shrimp — mix.
5. Add Red Chili Powder, Salt and Mint Leaves — mix.
6. Add Coconut Milk and washed Rice — mix well.
7. Cover, pressure cook for 1 whistle and switch off stove. (Electric stove users — remove from the stove)
8. Allow pressure to go down by itself.
9. Open pressure cooker and fluff biryani with a fork.
10. Drizzle Clarified Butter (ghee) over the top, cover and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Check out the ShowMeThecurry YouTube Channel
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Connect with us on Social Media:
ShowMeTheCurry on Facebook
ShowMeTheCurry on Twitter
ShowMeTheCurry on Instagram
ShowMeTheCurry on Pinterest
How to make goan style biryani, jhinga biryani, jhinga pulav, pulao, palif,
how do you prevent sticking and burning smell of rice using a presure cooker,even with one wistle,ane rmoving the put,as i use electric range,thanks
Hello anuja n hetal,
thanks for all the wonderful recipes ….
i was wondering if you could post some videos on how to prep up or store vegetables as soon as you get them from the store so that they are ready to use in curries or any kind of preparation…..
just like you made chapati dough for storing …if there are more things we can do please post them .
Also please post more school lunch box ideas.
Dear Anuja and Hetal,
Your cooking show is wonderful. It’s a pleasure to see you cooking. I have tried so many of your recipes.
Thanking you for the great work.
Toneeta
Hi Toneeta,
Thanks so much. We are so happy that you find SMTC useful! Thanks for the support.
Superb Dish.. Thanks a ton
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I would love to make this for my family! May I know if I can cook this on a rice cooker instead? Thanks in advance!
Ihave made it in electric rice cooker too…comes out pretty goid. but the conventional works best!
OHHHH MY…..BEST SHRIMP BIRYANI EVER…..I MADE THIS LAST NIGHT.IT CAME OUT AWESOME! To make it a little diet friendly I used half coconut milk and half water …also used normal onions and sauteed them with ggc paste. Added some coriander leaves to the ggc paste too…..it was too yummy! Thanks smtc!
just FYI… I made this today morning too…back to back shrimp biryani…its so delicious!! thanks again..:)
Hello Hetalji & Anujaji.I live in MAURITIUS ISLAND. Thanks a trillion for the recipe. Just now i made and ate Shrimp Biryani, came out awsome Husband & children love it.You really make everything look so easy.Thank you so much Autiji for sharing your knowledge. CHEERS.
Thank you Preity! Glad you are enjoying SMTC!
I tried this Biryani for dinner tonight and it turned out to be delicious. I have also tried your recipe for Ragda Patties and that was really good too. Thanks for taking the effort up recipes with exact measurements and very useful videos. Please keep up the good work.
I used a rice cooker to make this recipe, and followed the directions exactly except for not adding ghee at the end. I don’t feel that there was much flavor on its own. I had some frozen malai kofta that worked well with it. It’s my taste preference, but I will unlikely be making this again. So far from this site, I really enjoyed the shahi paneer and all the curry chicken recipes.
I wonder if the reason that the taste of the foods here are not like the restaurant is b/c these recipes appear to be so much healthier.
Hey Hetal and Anuja
Since coconut milk has high calories what can be its substitute.
Can i use skim milk ?
And by the way everyone enjoyed the Shrimp (Prawn) Biryani your recipe .. Thank you both
Hi Victor,
There is no good substitute for coconut milk in this recipe. Regular milk will not work. They do have Lite Coconut Milk available in some stores…maybe you can try that.
Ok …thanks again !!
Hi,
I have tried this biryani and it was super delicious!
Just curious, what is the reason of not soaking basmati rice.. because usually it is adviced to soak basmati rice for 20-30 mts.
Hi Sushma,
We have tried the recipe by soaking the rice and it comes out mushy.
Thank you! What an awesome site! Loved the shrimp biryani
Hello, I made this recipe in a stainless pressure cooker and the it ended up burning and sticking at the botton of the cooker…Could this be due to the thick coconut milk? Also, which brand of cooker did you use in this recipe?
Hi! I am new to Indian cooking. And I am happy my Sis in law introduced me to your website.
Anyway, I wanted to get tips in using pressure cookers. I am not very familiar in using it. I wanted to know how high should I put the stove initially and how much also after it whistles.
Thanks. Would appreciate your reply. Maybe by then I would get successful in using my pressure cooker. 🙂
Hi Ana,
Welcome to SMTC and pl. thank your Sis-in-law from us 🙂
Regarding the Pressure Cooker, here is what we do – put it on high till it gains pressure (1st whistle) , then bring the flame down to a low and cook as needed.
We have cookers that whistle and those that don’t and we apply the same method to both kinds.
Hope that helps.
Thanks! I’m a big fan of your site and recipes. I have been telling my other friends (who are not indians) and married to indians like me about your website and my other friends who like indian food.
your recipes are very good and easy to follow.
Good luck and all the best to both of you.
Just tried this recipe today, absolutely beautiful.
I used one cup of coconut cream and one cup of water instead of 2 cups of coconut milk.
I dont have a pressure cooker, so I used a heavy base saucepan instead, still a huge success. Thank you!
Yen (from Sydney)
Hi Yen,
Thanks for your feedback and glad you enjoyed the dish 🙂
Hi you great ladies – I am in Sydney, Australia and have been telling everyone about your fab website. Have tried so many of your receipes.
Keep up the good work. I am a Goan and really enjoyed this rice dish with coconut milk – what a great idea. Maureen
Hi Maureen.
Thank you for the compliment and for spreading the word around about the site. That is the way we grow 🙂
Shrimp Biryani – my fav 😉
Hi,
I see you used 1 cup of Basmati rice in this recipe… how many people would this serve if I was using this recipe as a main dish?
Hi Sarah,
This quantity serves 4 people approx.
Hi,
The ginger and garlic that you used… is that a PASTE the you used? Could I use minced ginger and minced garlic? Does the ginger/garlic paste give a different taste then the mince ginger or garlic. Where would I buy the paste?
Thanks
Amy
Hi Amy,
We usually mince fresh ginger, garlic for our cooking 🙂
The paste and the minced give the same flavor but we try not to use store bought Ginger/Garlic because when you put it in the oil, it tends to splatter 🙁
Having said that,we have used in a few cases like for Tandoori/BBQ stuff. Brand – sorry, really do not have a favorite 🙁
I tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out sooooo gooood… its very simple and simply delicious.THANKS FOR THIS WONDERFUL RECIPE. ITS VERY EASY!
KEEP POSTING SUCH SIMPLE RECIPES. DOING GREAT JOB!
Thank you guys for the wonderful receipe and excellent job as always. As a student and away from home, your website has been a very useful resource for me to learn how to cook.
How will i make it if I don’t have a pressure cooker? Can I use stove to cook it?
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I bought frozen pre cooked shrimp from the store. Can I use them for this recipe? If yes, how?
Hi Liz,
We have never used (or keep the pre-cooked) shrimp but think it’ll work 🙂
Add them in with the rice…and that should do the trick 😉
Let us know you feedback 🙂
Dear Hetal & Anuja
I just bought a new pressure cooker 2 months ago and have been using it religiously cuz its such a time safer and is a healthier way to cook food – I love it so much that I called it Linda =D
The only thing that I’m concerned about is that my pressure cooker is different than yours – while your cooker is the kind that whistle-stop-whistle-stop , mine is the type that whistles all the time, meaning that once the pressure builds up, it releases the steam and the valve dances in circle and does not stop like yours does (it continuously whistles). I thought that there were something wrong with mine, but according to the manufacturer’s guide, the thing is made to whistle continuously. My momma told me that pressure cookers in general, cut down your cooking time by about 70% (I know right? It’s craaaaaaaaazy *Oprah style*) so I kinda rely on that.
So when you said, “cook this daal for a whistle” or in this case, the biryani, I’m having a hard time gauging the, well, time required to cook this stomach grumbling, mouth watering, shrimp biryani in my pressure cooker.
Do you happen to have any idea how would my baby of a pressure cooker synchronize with yours in terms of cooking time? Please, I’m going bananas for not being able to cook this scrumptious dish xS
Thank you so very much =D
Yours Truly,
Blahnik
Ps: anyway, is Hetal a vegetarian?
Hi Blahnik,
Every pressure cooker is different but you can say approx 1 minute of continuous whistle for one whistle. Again, it is just a guideline and you will have to test your cooker to see if it follows this rule.
how you make garlic ginger paste with the green chilies mixed in. how much chilies you add to paste to make it? Thanks.
Hi Jen,
It depends on how spicy your green chillies are and how spicy you want the dish to be. You can crush the ginger, garlic and the green chili together in a mortar pestle or a small chopper.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
How are you both? I love your website, and it is so helpful. I have tried your shrimp biryani recipe, and I can’t tell you how amazing it was. But, I have a request for you guys. Can you please show us a recipe of hyderabadi mutton biryani? I love this dish but don’t know how to make it. So, can you please try to show us a recipe of hyderabadi biryani? Thanks.
can we ue water instead of milk?
If you don’t use the coconut milk, you will lose out on the key flavor of this Goan dish as well as the creamy texture. With that said, you can use water.
Hi,
Can you post a vegetable rice dish with coconut milk? I love coconut flavour and would love to get some vegetarian recipe.
Thanks,
Puja
Wow, the cooking way of this dish is great, I’ll try it later and I hope it tastes delicious. Just one suggestion: If you add some cooking pictures it will be easier to follow!
u have a great recepies and i liked this one
u said that i can use a regular pot but i should stir in between the 18 min,,do u mean i can uncovered the pot and stir the rice using a fork or what,,
thanks for ur help
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Thanks a lot for ur amazing recipes and this website. It has been a blessing for a guy like me who hardly cooked at home before stumbling on your website.
I need your suggestion on the shrimp biryani recipe above. I do not have a big pressure cooker to use. Can this be modified to cook on an oven? Pls guide me on the steps needed.
Thanks,
Sarav
Hi Sarav,
Thanks for your kind words…it makes our day to hear about someone benefiting from SMTC.
You can use a regular pot to make this biryani, just make sure it has a heavy bottom.
Cook on high, uncovered for 10 min
then reduce the heat to absolute simmer and cook covered for 18 min (stirring in between). Add ghee and turn off the stove and let it rest covered for 5-7 mins.
Good luck!
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I just made this biriyani and lucky chicken 13. Both were really good. Thanks for the amazing recipes.
How would I cook the biriyani without using a pressure cooker? Mine is very small and I was wondering how to cook this dish if I wanted to make larger quantities.
Hi CK,
Sorry for the delayed response…somehow missed your question.
You can use a regular pot to make this biryani, just make sure it has a heavy bottom.
Cook on high, uncovered for 10 min
then reduce the heat to absolute simmer and cook covered for 18 min (stirring in between). Add ghee and turn off the stove and let it rest covered for 5-7 mins.
This is excellent – just made it for my high school son’s “International Dinner” where I’m sure it will get rave reviews! I made it using a heavy bottomed pan, but I would recommend that you use a non-stick heavy pan and check often for sticking. I added 5 or 6 cilantro stems when blending the ginger/garlic/chili paste, but no other changes except maybe 5 minutes less cooking time on the low simmer.
Thank you, Hetal and Anuja! Another great (and easy) recipe for my files 🙂
hi Anuja, and Hetal,
how are you? I am mathuri. I just watched your wonderful website that has your good cooking lessons.i really thank you and i will see your upcoming tips and delicious cooking recipe very soon.you guys doing good job.I live in canada-Toronto by my self.i feel alone all the time.so i really appreciate your service for who does not know cooking like me.
I like you anuja & hetal.
god bless you.
bye .take care.
thank you.
yours fan,
mathuri.
Thank you so much, Mathuri! You have put a BIG smile on our faces today and we thank you for that:)
Hetal and Anuja didi…pl reply to my query at coconut milk.. im just very curious to make this..
Sorry, missed your question Priya.
We did use store bought coconut milk. We usually use Aroy-D brand or New ITC. They are pretty good.
Thanks Hetal didi. Its just that im one crazy shrimp fan. So was too demanding to know my query. 🙂
Kindly do let me know..if i can get it in indian store or chinese oriental store. sorry hetal didi…too many stupid q’s from my side.
You guys are life savers, house savers and so many other types of savers when it comes to cooking. So many of us are leading a happy life now. May god bless u!
Love,
Priya
I know I have seen Aroy-D in both Indian and Chinese stores.
Thanks For the prompt reply. Will get it and definetly try! 🙂 Thanks!
Hi,
Can I use frozen salad shrimp(that is available in sams club) to make this recipe? Thank you.
yes, you can use frozen shrimp. Just make sure they are defrosted before you add them to the rice.
I made this last night. First of all the taste is very good but after one whistle and letting all the pressure go down on its own, the rice was not yet cooked. So I pressure cooked it for one more whistle and this managed to overcook the rice so I ended up with a very mushy biryani. Everyone liked the flavor but I was sad 🙁
Beautiful biriyani!! Just cant wait to try this out! 🙂
Hi didi,
Oh..god..im so excited. Im a shrimp fan…a deadly fan actually.
And i was googling for a shrimp biryani reciepe for a long long time. Thanks for teaching us in a simple way.i.e., in a cooker.
Are u using store bought coconut milk ?
if at home, can u teach us how to make it at home.
Im asking this because, i once got it from store for making ur egg curry, and the coconut milk smelt like hell. The one i got had so much preservatives.
can u suggest any brand in specific ?
Thanks a million for sharing this reciepe with us!
Hey! Coconut milk is really easy to make …. you grind the coconut and squeeze out all the juice from it …. that juice is called coconut milk 🙂
Great… liked the idea of adding coconut milk but just wondering that won’t the complete replacement of water by coconut milk give the dish little sweet taste. its just a thinking i will definitely try it… as i make shrimp biryani quite often my family loves it….
Very differntly made with coconut milk, sounds YUMMMMMMMM.
keep up your good works.
Thanks.