Prawns with Spinach and Rice
Jhinga palak biryani is a baked Indian dish where butter-fried basmati rice is layered with spiced spinach and prawns. It is a complete meal in itself — the rice absorbs the juices from the spinach while the prawns stay tender from the short time in the oven.
The spinach is fried with onion, garlic and ginger and seasoned with chilli powder and ground coriander. The prawns are stirred in at the end so they just warm through without turning tough. The rice is boiled for only three minutes in water with turmeric — just until half cooked — so it can absorb the liquid in the oven without turning mushy.
The layering starts and ends with spinach, so the rice is enclosed and does not dry out. Thirty minutes covered at 355°F (180°C) is enough to meld the layers together.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 500 g basmati rice
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 50 g butter
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1–2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 kg spinach, rinsed and chopped
- 500 g prawns, cooked and peeled
Directions
Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Leave to drain.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the rice along with 1 tsp of salt and the turmeric. Cook for 3 minutes — the rice should only be half cooked. Drain in a sieve and leave to drip dry. Stir the butter into the rice while it is still warm.
Heat the oil in a large pot or sauté pan. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until golden over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
Add the chilli powder, ground coriander and the remaining 1 tsp of salt. Fry the spices for a few seconds so they open up but do not burn.
Add the spinach and turn it through, stirring constantly, until it wilts. Stir in the prawns and remove the pot from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease an ovenproof dish and layer the spinach mixture and the butter-fried rice. Start and end with spinach so the rice is covered.
Cover the dish with a lid or foil and place it in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Active time is about 30 minutes and baking time likewise 30 minutes.
Raw prawns can be used instead of cooked — stir them into the pot with the spinach, but take the dish out after 20–25 minutes so they do not turn tough.
Frozen leaf spinach can replace fresh. Thaw the spinach, squeeze out the water well and use about 400 g (14 oz).
The dish is substantial enough to stand alone, but a spoonful of yoghurt or raita on the side cools it down.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Green Chutney
Tamarind Chutney
