Serves a Crowd

Shrimp Biryani (Indian Shrimp and Rice)

by:
November 26, 2009
4.4
16 Ratings
Shrimp Biryani (Indian Shrimp and Rice)
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

As a kid I loved seafood and hated Indian food. Over the years somehow that got switched up to loving Indian food and becoming vegetarian. About a year ago I decided to make the move to pescatarianism which has opened a whole new culinary world for me. For my 30th birthday my dad made this amazing Shrimp Biryani dish for me marrying my two favorite things, seafood and Indian food. Send thanks to him for the flavors you are about to indulge in. - amreen —amreen

Test Kitchen Notes

This biryani has the distinction of being both delicate and full of flavor. A bowl of this fragrant rice and shrimp would be equally suited to lunch or dinner, either enjoyed alone in private bliss or served for a dinner party. We love that the same mixture of garlic, ginger, cilantro and chilies gets incorporated into both the rice and shrimp, the two parts of the dish mirroring each other aromatically. And amreen reminded us of the beauty and ease of baked rice! - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro
  • 2 serrano chilis
  • 1 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 4 large cloves of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick, 1 1/2 inches
  • 1/4 stick of butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 10 to 12 whole green cardamom pods
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 sprigs mint
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the rice and soak it in cold water until needed.
  2. Wash the shrimp and drain it well. Add the salt and tumeric and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Peel the ginger and garlic and use a food processor to blend it to a paste with the cilantro and chilis. You can use a little water if it is too dry.
  4. Chop the onion and mint and leave to the side until needed.
  5. Heat the oil on medium in an oven safe dish. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and 1 bay leaf. Saute until fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the chopped onion and saute until light brown, stirring constantly.
  7. Add 1/2 of the paste and saute for another minute or two.
  8. Add water and salt (1-2 teaspoons depending on taste) and bring to this to a boil.
  9. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water and add the butter and mint. Bring this to a boil, cover and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
  10. When the rice has been in the oven for about 10 minutes heat some oil in a saute pan and add the remainder of the paste along with the other bay leaf. Saute this for a minute or two and add the shrimp. Saute the shrimp until done (they should be light pink) about 5 minutes.
  11. Remove the rice from the oven. Top it with the shrimp and serve with kachumber (recipe can be found on my profile :P)
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amreen
I am one of the rare northern Cali girls who hearts LA. My family hails from India via Kenya and being a good little south asian i spent many of my young years in the kitchen. Surrounded by good food from birth (thanks mom!) i have always loved cooking, eating and learning about food. In recent years i have developed an interest in the history of food and its cultural connection particularly in how imperialism and colonization has had an influence on cuisines of the world. This blog is my way of exploring the amazing web of nourishment that sustains us.

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66 Reviews

FamilyandForks
FamilyandForks October 27, 2020
This is a terrific recipe and easy to follow. Wonderfully aromatic.
 
Nancy
Nancy May 28, 2020
Gotta say this is one of the best things I’ve ever cooked. Not hard, just requires some organization. Excellent instructionS.
 
NXL
NXL March 29, 2020
I am not a fan of shrimp generally, but this recipe is great! It was a lot of rice for the amount of shrimp, but leftover rice is great, right? The large pieces of whole spices rose to the top during cooking and were fairly easily picked out at the end. I did not put the butter in as 4 T of oil seemed plenty, and it was. The cucumber tomato salad was the perfect foil.
 
Vinod
Vinod March 29, 2020
I thought there could be more shrimp too, so I added 50% more shrimp and made more of the green sauce accordingly!
 
Young M.
Young M. November 18, 2019
The rice had such incredible flavour! If it wasn't for the calories, I could have eaten the whole thing in one sitting, and not sharing. The shrimp was a bit salty. I would skip it next time.
 
Rebecca M.
Rebecca M. October 29, 2019
This recipe is incredible. I rarely have seconds and I had thirds. I am honestly speechless. The flavors and heat are amazing. I couldn’t think of any way this could be better. Thank you for sharing this!
 
Vinod
Vinod May 11, 2019
This recipe has become a standby when I have people over and want to dazzle them with the aroma and flavours. Just divine. I usually add in a little more of the ginger-garlic-cilantro-chilli paste for more flavour, but that's just a personal preference. The way this recipe is set up means you don't have to stick to shrimp. I made it with tofu (fry tofu cubes in oil, then add the green spice paste and saute), and it was a hit last night. I can't wait to make the panneer and even cauliflower versions of this dish!
 
Lune
Lune February 24, 2018
This was delicious! Would make a great lunch too with leftovers... next time I make it!

 
Sarah
Sarah March 16, 2015
This recipe was really tasty, and has changed the way I approach making basmati rice!
 
Lisa M.
Lisa M. October 7, 2014
Confused. Do you leave the peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom in the dish and cook with the rice? Makes sense to remove.
 
Nancy
Nancy May 28, 2020
No need to remove. It flavors the rice.
 
Mary E.
Mary E. October 3, 2014
This looks incredible! Any advice on how to turn the ginger, garlic, cilantro, and chilies into a paste without a food processor/mortar and pestle? Also, can salted butter be used if the 1 tsp of salt is omitted?
 
Kaede S.
Kaede S. September 19, 2014
I made this last night for dinner. It is outstanding. Spicy, savory and delightfully light. I added some peas as suggested by others and this worked well. I like how there are lots of leftovers for lunch today!
 
Debora M.
Debora M. December 1, 2013
I love this recipe. I actually work with mostly Indian and Nepali women who raved about it when I brought some in- the ultimate compliment! I make half the recipe but used ½ teaspoon turmeric, 8 cloves of garlic, 2 yellow onions, and omitted the mint. The flavor after my alterations I'm sure was less delicate, but that's just what I prefer. Bravo!
 
amreen
amreen January 18, 2013
I made this again for the first time in a long time ... it was a hit with all my friends! glad you all liked it too! I like the addition of peas idea ... I did a chana masala and salad on the side but might do a palak paneer next time to get my greens in :)
 
mdmelindam
mdmelindam November 15, 2012
This looks divine!! I will be making this over the weekend :)
 
darksideofthespoon
darksideofthespoon September 19, 2012
I halved this recipe last night for me and my husband and after tasting it, immediately regretted not making the whole thing so I could have left overs. Also, I replaced the cilantro with parsley (I'm a hater), and it worked so well!
 
IORA83
IORA83 March 17, 2012
I loved it but unfortunately the boyfriend thought there was too much going on with the spices. Guess I will just have to cook it when he is out of town.
 
fuhsi
fuhsi February 6, 2012
Just made this tonight; it's definitely going in the roster, but will tone down the oil and butter (used the good-fake stuff), and add boiling water to speed up the process.

Added peas like someone said, and served with roasted cauliflower flavored with garam masala and some leftover cabbage/kale/carrot saute with a splash of sherry vinegar.

Bravo!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian January 21, 2012
Made this for dinner tonight and it might be the best rice dinner I've ever made. Ever. Thanks so much for this recipe! Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow :-)
 
MaryDD
MaryDD December 6, 2011
I had to visit my local Bulk Barn for a few spices but I pulled this off for dinner last night and it was delightful! The rice took a little longer than expected but it was through my own mismeasurement I believe,not the recipe. I used brown basmati rice as well. Thanks!
 
LobsterBrieAvocadoBreath
LobsterBrieAvocadoBreath February 27, 2011
Okay---this is just sumptuous! Pickier eat 15 year old, absolutely raved, and my daughter, the credentialed pastry chef loved it too. There is simply no beating the heavenly aromas. Rachael said she could smell it at the bottom of the driveway! I found that I really like the cardamom seeds through out the rice---kids thought it was complimentary too. I also made a brown rice version (thinking healthier, but of course it won't be if I eat the entire thing tonight, huh?)

I also must send along high-fives to my most favorite food website food52 and their insightful followers, for answering two question as I was pulling the dinner together. What a nice addition to my day this resource is. Thanks!
 
jifferb
jifferb October 25, 2010
made this tonight - amazing. the whole house smells like cardamom and cloves, so fragrant. and the paste for the shrimp was fantastic! i paired this with wanderash's roasted curried cauliflower - an excellent pair!
 
lpcooks
lpcooks October 18, 2010
I made this last night and we loved it! I add cauliflower (steamed it first and then mixed it in with the onions after they were done browning) and it was wonderful. Will definitely make this again, with and without the shrimp! Thanks
 
jazzdad
jazzdad July 3, 2010
I made this for my daughter tonight. My tolerance for spicy found it to be perfect hers found it a little to much so. So next time I make it for her, one of the serranos will lose the pith and seeds. I loved the cardamom in the rice and maybe didn't put in enough cinnamon but it still had a wow factor off the charts! great recipe looking forward to fine tuning it to suit my tastes, highly recommended, will make again especially for the delicious fragrance that permeates the house when making.
 
J-Dizzle
J-Dizzle June 30, 2010
Made this at the cottage - and the wonderful aromas had the neighbours coming over; or casually dropping by.....! It was a huge hit - I threw in some extra veggies (only way i can sneak then in)....Thank you Amreen for the wonderul recipe - it definitey is a keeper!
 
monkeymom
monkeymom March 3, 2010
Made this tonight. It was not only amazingly delicious, it was very fun to make. We didn't happen to have serranos so I had to leave them out. But my daughter (who usually hates spices/herbs) "I like it because of the spices". Essentially, a miracle. A big huge thanks to your dad!
 
amreen
amreen April 2, 2010
wow thats awesome! i never thought this would be a kid friendly dish ... goes to show you how much our culture's palates are changing ... will pass the word on to my pops :D
 
bonnie59
bonnie59 February 13, 2010
I just made this for the second time for my family and we all loved this dish. Even my fussy eater 13 y.o. daughter gobbled it up and didn't pick out the onions. Quite a success for our household meals. I just love your site and continue to tell all my friends at work about your site and of course I pass on my favourite recipes.
 
amreen
amreen April 2, 2010
I taught at a middle school for a long time and the kids would always wrinkle their noses at my lunch ... but once they tried it it was always Ms. Karmali when are you bringing meeee lunch :P There definately is something to say about the appeal of all things exotic!
 
Daphne
Daphne February 2, 2010
Made this last night and it was not only fun to put together but tasted like nothing I've ever made before. The smells got raves and we felt like we'd been transplanted to some exotic place. Just love to make food a few hours before dinner. I can sneak bites when I'm starving at 5 pm. Just re warm and serve after sharing a glass of wine with my husband after he arrives home at 7:30. Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
P.S. loved the very few dishes to wash too!
 
amreen
amreen April 2, 2010
Im a big fan of the minimal dishes too!!! I love how this recipe is super simple but appears to be so fancy!
 
Evangeline
Evangeline January 25, 2010
I made this last night for a dinner party - I totally screwed up the recipe - but is was still a huge hit. For some reason I thought the order of the instructions was to make sure the rice was finished at the same time as the shrimp - so I did everything out of order.

Here's what I did: I baked the rice as instructed, in a cast iron pot. However, I only baked it with the butter and the mint. Later, when I realized my mistake, I mixed in a bit of the chili paste with the rice and let it sit in the pot - which was still hot - so it cooked a bit into the rice. It had a delicate, slightly spicy flavor.

Oh - also, I used about 3/4 of a jalepeno pepper because that's all they had at the market. They are less spicy than serranos, but the spiciness level was just fine for me.

Meanwhile I sauteed the onions and all the wonderful spices and then I added the shrimp to this mix and sauteed it all together for about 10 minutes. The shrimp had an amazing flavor. We ate with the rice on the side.

End of the story - the spices are so wonderful and well balanced, I don't you can mess this dish up!

Thanks Amreen!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames January 2, 2010
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! For a variety of reasons, I needed a one-dish meal for the family tonight, so I added a few vegetables -- I diced two carrots and added them with the onion, and added frozen petite peas when cooking the shrimp (along with the juice of half a lime). I was short on time, so I boiled some water in a tea kettle while I was chopping the vegetables and aromatics. I added the rice to the onion mixture and stirred it to coat it well, as one would do with a risotto. Then I poured the boiling water over it, adding a bit extra because some went up in steam immediately upon hitting the pan. I then stirred in the butter and salt, and covered it immediately, to take advantage of the steam I was creating. I also added just a touch of cumin (ground) with the other spices, and passed some chopped, toasted cashews as a garnish, just for fun. I didn't have the recipe with me in the kitchen, so I forgot to add the mint, but it still tasted great as it was. Definitely a keeper! And so quick, too. Thank you for posting it.
 
amreen
amreen January 5, 2010
I love the sharing and improvising that is going on Antonia! many blessings to you and your family on this new year :D
 
lacerise
lacerise December 15, 2009
was expecting great things from this recipe. the ingredients/techniques looked solid and tantalizing. but i was disappointed. the house smelled fantastic...even the next day. but i felt the dish was a let down. a lot of great stuff, for me and my family, turned out to be a little lacking in flavor when finished. don't get me wrong; we will eat all the leftovers. but i won't be cooking it again. and a question: is the cook supposed to remove all the solid material from the rice prior to serving or does everyone pick it out of their mouth while eating? is their some Indian protocol of which I'm unaware?
 
amreen
amreen December 15, 2009
hey there ... sorry the dish didn't work out for you ... would you alter it in any way? also no there is no indian protocol ... just good old fashioned being careful of what you eat ... cloves are actually a great digestive and while they pack a punch they can be eaten whole :D
 
lastnightsdinner
lastnightsdinner December 12, 2009
Maine shrimp have just come into season here - I can't wait to try them in this dish :)
 
amreen
amreen December 15, 2009
oh wow ... lucky you! let me know how it turns out ... im banished to the world of frozen fish ... i am sure yours is going to be amazing!
 
Maria T.
Maria T. December 9, 2009
Congratulations for the prize. Fantastic recipe and thank you for sharing your talent.
 
amreen
amreen December 12, 2009
thank you so much maria! all credit to my pops on this one :)
 
melissav
melissav December 8, 2009
Made this for dinner tonight and it was another Food 52 hit. Great flavors and it smelled divine. My husband said he knew it was going to be a good meal as soon as he stepped off the elevator and smelled the aromas drifting down the hall from our apartment. I used brown basmati rice so I let it cook for about an hour.
 
amreen
amreen December 9, 2009
Haha thats why i love cooking indian food ... the smell alone will make anyone happy! I love the brown rice idea ... did you pair it with any other dishes? thanks for sharing :D
 
melissav
melissav December 9, 2009
The Brown Basmati turned out well - it was all I had in the pantry. This was the sole dish last night as I got stuck at work late; however, I think this would be a great dinner party dish paired with a bunch of other Indian inspired dishes!
 
nisha
nisha December 8, 2009
mmmmm....cardamom.....
 
amreen
amreen December 8, 2009
u kno it!
 
LeaMoniqueC
LeaMoniqueC December 8, 2009
can't wait to try the recipe. love your dishes so far. thank you for sharing the gifts of cooking skills, good food and feeding others. much respect.
 
amreen
amreen December 8, 2009
egualmente hermana!
 
pumpkinhead
pumpkinhead December 8, 2009
I have been eating her recipes for ten years strong!
SOOOoooo good!
 
amreen
amreen December 8, 2009
thanks punkin!
 
tribe1
tribe1 December 7, 2009
I love amreen
 
amreen
amreen December 8, 2009
and i love my tribe!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian December 6, 2009
This looks amazing and can't wait to try it. The combination of spices and herbs that you have married together for this dish look so enticing. And my new favorite spice is cardamon - so I've been on the hunt for good recipes incorporating it. I have a house party coming up over the holidays and plan to put this on the menu! Thanks!
 
amreen
amreen December 7, 2009
Thanks Suzanne, I am so with you in your love for cardamom ... a couple days ago i made a simple desert with bannannas sauteed in butter and cardamom ... put that on some vanilla ice cream for pure bliss! I would love to hear any recipes that you have found too! Have fun at your party!
 
luvcookbooks
luvcookbooks December 5, 2009
looks like a great weekend or company meal, thanks!
 
amreen
amreen December 7, 2009
ha ... i made it the other weekend ... for company ... they loved it :P
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen December 3, 2009
I will be trying this one soon!
 
amreen
amreen December 4, 2009
you can easily substitute the butter for a vegan margarine to make this healthier ... enjoy :D
 
lastnightsdinner
lastnightsdinner December 3, 2009
We have a wonderful little Indian market just up the street, and I've been dying to work with the wonderful ingredients they sell. I'll be trying this for sure.
 
amreen
amreen December 4, 2009
looking forward to hearing how it turns out :D
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb December 3, 2009
This looks delicious...it took me a long time to accumulate all the spices necessary to make dishes like this, but I think at this point I do have them all...yum!
 
amreen
amreen December 4, 2009
winnie have you ever tried cardamom in fruit pies? it adds an amazing aroma and taste! I love it in peach cobbler!
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb December 4, 2009
that sounds wonderful...I made roasted vegetables with cardamom as one of my Thanksgiving side dishes- heavenly
 
amreen
amreen December 4, 2009
oooooohh yum! u gonna post the recipe :P
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames December 3, 2009
Oh, this looks heavenly! My sons, who adore shrimp, will love this.
If you were having a party to which vegetarians were coming, you could easily prepare some toasted cashews in a separate pan to use instead of the shrimp for them. I made something similar to this last night, using cumin instead of the sweet spices, and because I was a bit hurried and wanted a one-pot dinner, threw some leftover brussels sprouts on top of the pilaf simply to steam for a few minutes before serving. I am really looking forward to trying this one, soon!!
 
amreen
amreen December 4, 2009
I love the cashew idea antonia ... and so do all my vegetarian friends!