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Mom’s Yetti Pulao with prawns, rice and whole spices

Mom's Yetti Pulao / Prawn Pulao

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Course Main Course
Cuisine Mangalorean

Ingredients
  

For the prawn masala

  • 500 g peeled prawns or shrimp, ideally a mixture of tiny shrimp and medium prawns
  • 2 bunches coriander leaves
  • 4 to 5 green chillies
  • ½-inch piece of ginger
  • 6 to 7 garlic cloves
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons neutral-flavoured oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • A little water or prepared prawn stock, only as needed

For the rice

  • 1½ cups basmati rice
  • 1½ to 2 cups sliced onions
  • 4 to 5 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 peppercorns, optional
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee
  • 3 cups total cooking liquid, plain water or a combination of water and prawn stock
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt, to taste

For the optional prawn stock

  • Clean heads and shells reserved from the prawns
  • A little oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup water

Instructions
 

Method

  • Prepare the prawns. Clean and devein the prawns. If making stock, keep the thoroughly cleaned heads and shells aside. Mom likes a mixture of tiny shrimp and medium prawns for both flavour and bite.
  • Make the green paste. Grind the coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic into a paste, adding only a little water if the mixer needs help.
  • Cook the masala patiently. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped tomatoes. Add the green paste and a little salt. Fry over medium-low heat for around 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly. There may be some splattering at first. Give it time to cook down.
  • Make the stock, if using. In another pan, sauté the cleaned heads and shells in a little oil. Add salt and 1 cup water. Boil for about 10 minutes, then let it cool enough to handle and strain thoroughly, discarding the heads and shells. Reserve a little stock for the prawn masala and use the rest as part of the rice cooking liquid.
  • Cook the prawns separately. Add the prawns to the cooked green masala, with a little stock or water if needed. Cook for around 5 minutes, or just until the prawns are opaque and cooked through. Adjust the salt and take the pan off the heat. Do not keep cooking them while the rice cooks.
  • Wash and soak the rice. Wash the basmati 3 to 4 times and soak for about 15 minutes. Drain well.
  • Prepare the rice liquid. Bring 3 cups of liquid to a boil and season with salt and the sugar. If using prawn stock, include it within those 3 cups, topping up with plain water. It is part of the measured liquid, not an extra addition.
  • Build the rice base. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and optional peppercorns. After a minute or two, add the sliced onions. Cook until golden-brown or beginning to brown.
  • Cook the rice. Add the drained rice and gently sauté with the onions for a couple of minutes. Carefully pour in the boiling liquid and check the seasoning. Cover and simmer on low heat for around 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed. Allow a little longer if the rice needs it.
  • Bring the two together. Gently fold the prawn masala into the cooked rice. Keep a light hand so the grains stay intact. The prawns have already cooked, so this is the final mixing step rather than another long simmer.

Notes

  • Cook the prawns and rice separately. This is Mom's way of keeping the prawns juicy instead of letting them overcook with the rice.
  • Small shrimp bring big flavour. Her preference is a mixture of tiny shrimp and medium prawns.
  • The stock is optional. Plain water works too. If making stock, strain it before using and count the portion for the rice within the total 3 cups of liquid.
  • Let the green masala cook. The 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat is part of the method, not a quick toss in the pan.
  • Onions are measured in cups. The rice ingredients call for 1½ to 2 cups of sliced onions, rather than 1½ to 2 whole onions.
  • A vegetarian variation. My caption also mentions using boiled potatoes, carrots and peas with the cooked green masala, then following the rice method. Leave out the prawns and their stock for that version.