Do You Love Rice? - Hyderabadi Shrimp Biriyani

Rice gets a bad rap. But, it has become a guilty pleasure. In the endless quest to cut down on carbs, rice has been seriously sidelined. It's no secret that I love rice. You can find plenty of recipes for rice on the blog. Like tomato rice, bagara khana, and Hyderabadi kheema rice. Growing up, there was no dinner without white rice at the table. And there are endless ways to make it, crispy like in fried rice, or soft and luxurious in kheer. It is like a chameleon, popping up in so many delicious ways.

Sadly, gone are the days when I could (or thought I could) eat anything, though I still try way too often (and regret it.) I've tried all types of substitutes, but i always come back to the original. There is brown rice. It's nutty and delicious. Wild rice is nutty and aromatic. I also like brown basmati rice which is nutty, aromatic and delicious. In the end, there is no substitute for white rice.

So when a friend came over for dinner, I automatically thought of biriyani. We were celebrating his fortieth birthday, a big occasion. And what is more special than biriyani. It is the quintessential special occasion dish that marks every celebration - birthdays, anniversaries, and of course Eid. My mother's showstopper dish was lamb biriyani. She had a special extra-large pot that was used only for biriyani. And she bought a fancy french mandoline to slice her onions extra fine.

My mother pulled out all the stops when she first met G. She made lamb biriyani, lamb samosas, and a million chutneys. G politely ate everything. My mom watched him carefully and later remarked he seemed to eat all the meat and none of the rice. He finally confessed that the lamb was the best part of biriyani and that rice was not the star. Blasphemy really. So the next time, my mother humored him and added more lamb to the dish. She tipped the balance of rice and meat, creating a very meaty rice. G enjoyed all the lamb, but even he remarked that it was too much. My mom smiled, knowing full well that there is an unspoken balance of rice and lamb that should not be messed with.

Biriyani can be made with lamb, shrimp, or chicken. The meat or seafood is slowly simmered in a blend of mint, cilantro, tomato, onions, and yogurt. It is magically transformed into a fragrant khurma or stew. Then you layer partially cooked rice on top of the simmering khurma. This is the classic "dum" biriyani, where the rice steams over the simmering shrimp and spices. You have a rice and meat dish that is fragrant and delicious.

G will still argue that there can never be too much meat in biriyani. I'll laugh, we'll both laugh, and think of my mom.

Hyderabadi Shrimp Biryani

Biriyani is classic Indian dish. Shrimp, mint, cilantro, and yogurt come together for a delicious khurma or stew. Then it is layered with rice and cooked together. The rice gently steams, or "dum", creating a special occasion dish.

Serves 8

• 2 1/2 pounds shrimp
• 3/4 cup neutral oil
• 2 1 inch pieces of cinnamon
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cloves
• 3-4 medium onions (very thinly sliced)
• 3 inch piece of ginger (minced)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2/3 cup thick yogurt
• 3 tablespoons coconut powder
• 1 lemon, juiced
• pinch saffron

Parboiling the Rice

• 2 cups Basmati rice (rinsed)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2-3 quarts water

Kachaa Green Masala

• 2 green chilis - slit vertically
• 1/2 cup fresh mint (chopped)
• 1 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 teaspoons salt

1. In a dutch oven or large stainless steel pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the cardamon, cinnamon and cloves and saute for a minute. Add the onions and saute until soft. Give this a good 10 to 15 minutes. You want them to be soft and almost caramelized. Add the garlic and ginger paste, saute about 5 minutes. The onions and garlic will be golden and stick to the pan, and almost seem like its going to burn but this is ok.

2. Add all the katchaa green masala ingredients along with the shrimp. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Lower heat to med/low and simmer, occasionally stirring for 20 minutes. The shrimp nand tomatoes will release a good amount of liquid so you shouldn’t need to add any. But check occasionally and add 1/4 cup water if needed. You want the khurma to simmer and bubble gently.

3. Add the yogurt and cook for 20 minutes again at medium/low heat. Add the coconut powder and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, parboil the rice. In another large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons salt. Rinse basmati rice and add to the boiling water. Cook rice for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander.

5. In a small bowl, mix the lemon jucie and saffron.

6. Now add the basmatii rice to the simmering khurma in layers. Layer the rice gently over the khurma. No need to mix. Add the saffron lemon mixture and sprinkle over the rice.

7. Simmer over low heat. You can always peak and make sure there is a little bit of steam coming up into the rice, the classic “dum” part. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until rice is cooked. About 10 minutes in you can give the rice a few stirs. When its done give it a few stirs to help distribute the shrimp and masala. It doesn’t have to be all even.

8. Serve with yogurt chutney or tomato chutney, or the best way - all by itself.