Shrimp Dum Biryani with a 15-Minute Rest

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A layered Hyderabadi-style shrimp biryani built for home ovens, where the shrimp are the last thing to go in. The marinated shrimp are folded raw into the masala and sealed under 70-percent-cooked basmati, so they poach gently in trapped steam during a short 15-minute dum instead of turning rubbery over a long bake. Saffron milk, crisp fried onions, mint and a squeeze of lime finish it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb large shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails off
• 1/3 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 cups aged basmati rice
• 3 tbsp kosher salt
• 3 green cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 inch)
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced paper-thin
• 3/4 cup neutral oil, for frying

• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 Serrano or Indian green chilies, slit
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp biryani masala or garam masala
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1/4 cup warm whole milk
• 2 tbsp melted ghee
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp rose water or kewra water (optional)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse the basmati in 4 to 5 changes of cool water until the water runs nearly clear, then cover with cool water and soak 30 minutes. While it soaks, crumble the saffron into the warm milk and set aside to bloom.
2. Pat the shrimp very dry. Toss with the yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili, turmeric, 1 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 1/4 tsp salt. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes only — no longer, or the acid will start to firm up the texture.
3. Make the fried onions: heat 3/4 cup oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium until it shimmers (about 325°F). Fry the sliced onions in two batches, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, until deep golden brown. Pull them out while still one shade lighter than you want and drain on paper towels; they darken as they cool. Reserve 2 tbsp of the onion oil.
4. Parboil the rice: bring 4 quarts water to a hard boil with 3 tbsp salt, the cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and 1 tbsp oil. Drain the soaked rice and add it. Boil 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes, until a grain snaps cleanly in half with a firm white core — about 70 percent cooked. Drain immediately in a colander and spread on a sheet pan to stop the cooking. Fish out and discard the bay leaf and cinnamon if you like.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F. Make the masala in a wide 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven: warm the ghee and reserved 2 tbsp onion oil over medium heat, add 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and the slit chilies, and fry 60 seconds until raw smell is gone.
6. Add the tomatoes, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili, coriander, cumin, biryani masala and 1 tsp salt. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, mashing with the back of a spoon, until the tomatoes break down into a thick paste and oil beads at the edges.
7. Stir in half the mint, half the cilantro and half the fried onions. Cook 1 minute more, then take the pot off the heat and let the masala cool for 3 to 4 minutes so it is warm rather than sizzling. Taste it now and correct the salt — it should be assertively seasoned.
8. Fold the marinated shrimp, along with all the marinade, into the warm masala. Do not cook them. Spread them into an even single layer across the bottom of the pot; they will steam through under the rice.
9. Layer the rice: scoop the drained rice over the shrimp in two additions, mounding it gently with a spoon rather than pressing. Between the layers, scatter the remaining mint, cilantro and fried onions. Finish with a smooth top layer of rice.
10. Drizzle the saffron milk over the surface in irregular streaks, then the 2 tbsp melted ghee, 1 tbsp lime juice and the rose water if using. Do not stir.
11. Seal the pot: cover the rim with a sheet of foil and press the lid down firmly on top, or lay a clean damp kitchen towel under the lid. A tight seal is what cooks the shrimp.
12. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave the sealed pot inside for a 15-minute rest — this is the whole trick. The residual steam finishes the shrimp gently while the rice grains absorb the saffron and masala.
13. Unseal at the table. Check one shrimp from the bottom layer: it should be opaque, curled into a loose C and 120 to 125°F. If any are still translucent, re-cover and rest 4 more minutes off heat.
14. Serve by digging a large spoon down the side of the pot and lifting from bottom to top so each plate gets shrimp, masala-stained rice and white saffron-streaked grains. Pass lime wedges and cool raita.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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