Lighter Prawn Biryani

Place the prawns in a bowl and pat them dry with kitchen paper. If they were frozen, thaw them completely in the refrigerator and drain away any liquid.

Add the yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, half of the grated garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder, half of the garam masala, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt to the bowl with the prawns. Stir gently until coated, then cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not marinate the prawns for several hours because the lemon juice can make them soft.

Rinse the basmati rice under cold water several times until the water runs mostly clear. Soak it in 1 litre of water for 20 minutes, then drain it thoroughly.

Put the saffron threads in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of hot water and leave them to infuse while you prepare the biryani.

Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, the whole cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.

Add the drained rice to the boiling spiced water. Cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once gently, until the grains are about 70 percent cooked. The outside should be soft while the centre remains slightly firm.

Drain the rice immediately in a colander. Remove the whole spices if preferred, or leave them in for extra fragrance. Spread the rice gently over a wide tray so it stops cooking and excess steam escapes.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and lightly golden.

Add the remaining grated garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, diced carrot, diced bell pepper, frozen peas, and slit green chilies.

Cook the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and the vegetables begin to tenderise.

Stir in the marinated prawns and all of the marinade. Cook for 2 minutes, turning the prawns gently, until they start to change colour but are not fully cooked.

Turn off the heat. Stir in half of the chopped coriander, half of the chopped mint, and the remaining 0.5 teaspoon of garam masala.

Spread half of the partially cooked rice evenly over the prawn mixture. Sprinkle over half of the remaining coriander and mint.

Add the rest of the rice in an even layer. Drizzle the saffron water over the top, then sprinkle over the remaining coriander and mint.

Cover the pot tightly with a lid. If the lid does not seal well, place a clean tea towel over the pot and put the lid on top, keeping the towel away from the flame.

Place the pot over low heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the rice is fully tender and the prawns are opaque and cooked through. Do not stir during this stage.

Turn off the heat and leave the covered biryani to rest for 5 minutes. Check that the prawns are fully opaque in the centre and reach 63°C if using a food thermometer.

Gently fluff the biryani from the edges toward the centre with a fork, taking care not to break the rice or prawns. Serve immediately with salad and plain yogurt.