Koli Kolambi Pulao

Ingredients

• 1 and ½ cup long grain basmati rice. Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it for 30 mins, thereafter strain the water.
• 250 grams large sized prawns cleaned and deveined.
• 1 large sized onion cut into lengths
• 2 small tomatoes pureed
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 12-15 cloves of garlic
• 2 inches ginger root
• 4 green chilies
• 2 bay leaf
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tbsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp koli masala powder
• Cooking Oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Make a fine green paste with coriander leaves, green chilies, chopped ginger roots and garlic.
2. Heat 3 cup water for 1 and ½ cup rice to a large vessel. Add 2 tsp salt to the water. Add rice to the vessel and cook the rice until it is half done.
3. In 3 minutes rice should be half cooked. Now turn off the flame and strain the excess water.
4. Spread the rice in a wide plate and let it cool down. This prevents rice grains from breaking and sticking together.
5. Add 4 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add bay leaf and chopped onions and fry until onions become tender.
6. When onions become tender, add green masala paste and roast it until we get rid of raw smell.
7. After 1 and ½ minutes, add tomato puree and roast the mixture for 1 minute.Watch How to blanch Tomatoes in our "How to" section.
8. Now add turmeric powder, garam masala powder and koli masala powder and roast the mixture for 3 minutes.
9. After 3 minutes, add prawns and salt as per taste.
10.  Remember we have already added salt while cooking rice.
11. Mix the prawns nicely so that it gets coated with masala. Cover and cook the prawns for 4-5 minutes.
12. After 4 minutes, prawns become tender. Now spread the rice on top of prawns .
13. Create a bed of rice on top of prawns. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on low flame.
14. After 2 minutes, turn off the flame and let the Pilaf stay covered. Serve hot.