Shrimp Pulao
Pulao/pilaf/plov – As far as I know, they all mean the same thing – a big ol’ pot of fragrant, delicious rice!
Legend has it that Plov was invented by Alexander the Great, who instructed his cooks to make a satisfying rice dish for his army using whatever ingredients they had on hand, and that’s how plov came to be. It eventually made its way into Indian kitchens, thank goodness for that!
This recipe gets its flavors from the Western Coastal region of India, where my family is from. The critical part of this recipe (aka don’t skip ingredients, there are only 5) is the beautiful green paste, which can be made upto 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. Enjoy! 🙂
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
people
|
- 4 tbsp Canola Oil Or any other high temperature oil (vegetable, grapeseed, etc.)
- 1.5 cups Long Grain Rice I used Basmati
- 1 lb Shrimp Peeled, deveined, and washed
- 2 cups Thinly Sliced Red Onion
- Salt to taste
- 2.5 to 3 cups Hot Water
- 1 cup (tightly packed) Cilantro With Stalks
- 15 Mint Leaves
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1-2 Green Chilli (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 10-12 Black Peppercorns Or 1 tsp FRESHLY CRUSHED black pepper
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon stick 2" piece
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 diced Tomato
Ingredients
Green Paste
Whole Spices
|
|
- Rinse the rice in a 2-3 changes of water until the water runs clear. Soak for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan until shimmering. Add the whole spices and the sliced onions. Fry the onions until they turn a light golden brown. Do not let them go dark brown, or they'll taste bitter. 🙁
- While the onions are frying, add the green paste ingredients to a blender jar with a couple of tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Add small amounts of water at a time until you have a thick smoothie like consistency.
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the chopped tomato and the green paste. Mix well to combine, cover and cook on medium heat for 90 seconds. Add in the shrimp and stir to combine.
- Add the hot water and salt to taste, stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice. Cover, and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the rice is fork tender.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime, serve hot!
Adjust the quantity of green chilies used depending on how spicy you want the dish to be.
For a more colorful version, try adding veggies (sliced green/red bell peppers, peas, carrots, etc) along with the shrimp. For a vegetarian version, use mixed veggies of your choice instead of the shrimp.
For a richer/creamier flavor, replace half of the cooking water with coconut milk.
If using brown rice, adjust the amount of water and cooking time; brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.
If you don't have/want to use whole spices, you can skip them, although the flavor wont be quite the same. Alternatively, make a spice pouch - Add the whole spices to a square piece of cheesecloth. Tie up the ends and drop into the oil. Remove the spice pouch prior to serving.
