This Prawn biryani recipe, made in Hyderabadi style, is one of the easiest and tastiest biryani recipes you can make at home. Juicy prawns and fragrant basmati rice are layered and slow-cooked in dum style just like restaurants. It's easy to make, requires fewer ingredients, tastes better than any restaurant, and can be made ahead.
I learned to make this Hyderabadi prawn biryani by trial and error. My family loves the Hyderabadi flavour in my Hyderabadi chicken biryani and Hyderabadi mutton dum biryani, which inspired me to try the same with prawns.
We love serving it with raita, salan, or even a simple salad on the side. The best part about prawns is that they cook so quickly and always taste amazing, whether it's in this biryani or in dishes like prawn ghee roast, prawn rava fry, prawn sukka, and prawn pepper fry.
What is Prawn Biryani?
Prawn biryani, also known as shrimp biryani or jhinga biryani, is made with prawns or shrimp marinated, cooked, and layered with basmati rice. This layered biryani is then slow-cooked in a dum (a method that involves cooking slowly in a sealed pot to lock in flavours and aromas), which gives it an amazing aroma and taste, much like chicken tikka biryani. This is the Best prawn biryani you will ever have.
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Quick Look: Prawn Biryani Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 514 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Soak rice → marinate prawn → cook rice → fry onions → add tomatoes & spices → add prawns and cook → layer rice & prawns → dum cook biryani
- Spice Level: Medium to hot
- Flavour Profile: Spicy
- Difficulty: Easy-Medium, great for family dinners
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- Tastes amazing: Juicy prawns (shrimp) and perfectly cooked biryani rice with rich flavours from homemade biryani masala. You will love this biryani.
- Quick and easy: A simple, no-fail recipe for prawn dum biryani with step-by-step photos and a video tutorial.
- Fewer ingredients: Needs fewer ingredients compared to the typical Hyderabadi biryani, yet turns out just as flavorful.
- Make-ahead dish: Can be prepared in advance, so no last-minute cooking stress. Great for family dinners or parties.
Prawn Biryani Ingredients
👉 See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Prawn (Shrimp/Jhinga): Large or medium-sized prawns work best for this prawn dum biryani recipe. You can use fresh or frozen prawns. Fresh prawns are always the best choice. If using frozen, make sure to thaw them properly before cooking.
- Basmati Rice: I always prefer long-grain, aged basmati rice for making this shrimp biryani. You can use other rice varieties too, but basmati rice holds its shape well while cooking and adds amazing aroma and flavour.
- Biryani Masala Powder: I used homemade biryani masala powder, which gives a delicious flavour and incredible aroma to this prawn biryani. You can also use store-bought masala.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter): Ghee is an important ingredient that keeps the biryani soft and moist. It also adds a rich taste.
- Whole Spices: Fresh whole spices enhance the aroma of biryani. Just add a few commonly available ones like green cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.
You may also like these other popular biryani recipes from this website
How to make Hyderabadi Prawn Dum Biryani
Preparations for prawn dum briyani
- Rinse the basmati rice in water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes, then drain before cooking.
- Slice onions, chop tomatoes, and herbs. Keep the spices ready.
Marinate Prawns
Step 1: Marinate the prawns - In a bowl, mix yogurt, salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and green chilies (image 1). Add prawns or shrimp, toss to coat (image 2). Cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. I always keep prawns in the fridge while marinating, which keeps them fresh and firm.
Cook Rice
Step 2: Cooking the rice - Bring 9 cups of water to a boil with salt and whole spices (image 3). Add soaked basmati rice and cook until grains are 80% cooked. To check this (image 4), when you press the grain, it should split (image 5) and not mash. Drain and set aside (image 6).
Making Biryani Gravy
Step 3: Fry onions - Heat ¼ cup of oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Don't reduce the oil in this shrimp biryani. We need oil for making birista and cooking biryani. Add sliced onions (image 7). Fry sliced onions until deep golden brown (image 8). Switch off the heat. Remove them to a plate to layer the biryani.
Step 4: Make tomato-masala - In the same pan with remaining oil, add the whole spices and fry for 20-30 seconds. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt (image 9). Switch on the heat. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft and mushy (image 10).
Step 5: Add powdered spices - Stir in red chilli powder, coriander powder, and biryani masala (image 11). Cook until the masala starts leaving oil at the sides (image 12). If the masala sticks to the pan, add a splash of water and stir.
Step 6: Cook prawns in masala - Add marinated prawns (image 13). Cook, stirring continuously until the marinade comes to a boil (image 14). Cook 2-3 minutes until prawns start to curl (C shape), don't overcook. Reduce the heat to low. I usually taste the masala here and adjust salt or spice. Once rice is layered, you can't fix it easily.
Layering and Dum Cooking Prawn Biryani
Step 7: First layer - Take out half the prawn masala into a bowl (you'll use it in layering) (image 16). Sprinkle half the fried onions, half the coriander, and mint (image 17). Layer half of the cooked rice. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of ghee over the rice (image 18).
The ghee used here is in semi-solid form. If using melted ghee, add 2 teaspoons.
Step 8: Second layer - Spoon the reserved prawn masala over the rice. Top with fried onions, coriander, and mint (image 19).
Step 9: Final rice layer - Cover with remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions, coriander, mint leaves, and 2 teaspoon lemon juice on top (image 20).
Step 10: Dum cook. Cover the pot with a plate and place some weight on top of it to seal it tightly.
I simply cover the pan with a plate and keep a heavy bowl on top, which works just like sealing with dough.
Cook on the lowest flame for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Serve prawn biryani hot with raita and salad.
Tips to make the Best Prawn Biryani
- Soak the basmati rice. This makes the biryani rice fluffy, non-sticky, and reduces cooking time.
- Marinate the prawns. At least 15-30 minutes is enough. It removes the seafood smell and keeps prawns or shrimp soft and juicy.
- Use a heavy-bottom pot. Prevents the rice from burning or sticking to the bottom during dum cooking biryani.
- Don't lift the lid while dum cooking. Steam is the key to soft, fluffy biryani rice. The trapped steam cooks it evenly, and if it escapes, the shrimp biryani may stick at the base.
- Rest the biryani before serving. Let it sit covered for 10 minutes after cooking. The flavours settle, and the rice absorbs the aroma.
Recipe FAQs
The best rice for making prawn or shrimp biryani is aged long-grain basmati rice. This type of rice has thin, extra-long grains that remain separate and fluffy after cooking, which is perfect for a biryani recipe. Aged basmati has less starch, so it doesn't turn sticky or mushy when layered with prawns and masala. Soaking the rice for about 20-30 minutes before cooking helps the grains expand fully.
I like to serve it with onion-tomato raita and cucumber salad. You can also serve it with mirchi ka salan or biryani gravy. Or a simple side of boiled eggs, onion slices, lemon wedge, and chaas makes it a complete meal.
Yes. Cook and layer the prawn biryani, then cover it. Warm it on low heat in the oven before serving. You can also warm it on the stovetop. Place a skillet below the biryani pot and heat it low and slow. Just avoid reheating many times because prawns can become chewy.
Recipe Card
Hyderabadi Prawn Biryani Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
To marinate prawn
- 425 grams prawn or shrimp the weight is after cleaning and deveining.
- ½ cup curd/yogurt
- Salt to taste or ½ tsp
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 green chilies slit from the middle and cut into quarters
To cook rice
- salt
- 2 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
- 1 Bay leaf (tej patta)
- 2 cloves (laung)
- 1- inch cinnamon sticks (dalchini)
- 2 cups of basmati rice. Rinsed and soaked in water for 30 minutes.
To cook prawn
- ¼ cup oil
- 3 medium-sized onions
- 2 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
- 1 star anise (chakra phool)
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder add as per taste
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 teaspoon homemade biryani masala recipe link in description (If using store bought, add 2-3 tsp)
For layering biryani
- ½ cup coriander leaves chopped (dhaniya)
- ¼ cup mint leaves chopped (pudina)
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder add as per taste
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 teaspoon homemade biryani masala recipe link in description (If using store bought, add 2-3 tsp)
Instructions
Preparations
- Rinse the basmati rice in water 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes, then drain before cooking. Slice onions, chop tomatoes, and herbs. Keep the spices ready.
Marinate the prawns
- In a bowl, mix yogurt, salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and green chilies. Add prawns or shrimp, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. I always keep prawns in the fridge while marinating, which keeps them fresh and firm.
Cooking the rice
- Bring 9 cups of water to a boil with salt and whole spices. Add soaked basmati rice and cook until grains are 80% cooked. To check it, when you press the grain, it should split, not mash. Drain and set aside.
Cooking prawn
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Add sliced onions. Fry sliced onions until deep golden brown. Switch off the heat. Remove them to a plate to layer the biryani.
- In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the whole spices and fry for 20-30 seconds. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Switch on the heat. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Stir in red chilli powder, coriander powder, and biryani masala. Cook until the masala starts leaving oil at the sides. If the masala sticks to the pan, add a splash of water and stir.
- Add marinated prawns. Cook, stirring continuously until the marinade comes to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes until prawns start to curl (C shape), don't overcook. Reduce the heat to low. I usually taste the masala here and adjust salt or spice. Once rice is layered, you can't fix it easily
Layering and Dum cooking prawn biryani
- First layer - Take out half the prawn masala into a bowl (you'll use it in layering). Sprinkle half the fried onions, half the coriander, and mint. Layer half of the cooked rice. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of ghee over the rice.
- Second layer - Spoon the reserved prawn masala over the rice. Top with fried onions, coriander, and mint.
- Final rice layer - Cover with remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions, coriander, mint leaves, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice on top.
- Dum cook. Cover the pot with a plate and place some weight on top to seal it tightly. Cook on the lowest flame for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Serve prawn biryani hot with raita and salad.
Video
Notes
- You can use store-bought or homemade biryani masala powder.
- Soaking rice makes it fluffy, non-sticky, and faster to cook.
- Marinating prawns (15-30 mins) removes the smell, keeps them soft and juicy.
- Use a heavy pot to avoid rice burning or sticking during dum cooking.
- Don't open the lid, trapped steam cooks rice evenly.
- Rest before serving 10 mins for flavors to settle and aroma to absorb.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Aisha C
Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Raj
Simply explained for excellent flavor
Preeti
Thanks.