Instant Pot Jumbo Shrimp Biryani

Jumbo shrimp, nestled in a cushion of aromatic long grain Basmati rice, with a generous spill of exotic spice and fresh herbs, makes for a delicious Biriyani! Biriyani which originated from Persia, the Middle East, Afghanistan and spread to Pakistan and India and across the globe, is a favorite rice dish, laden with aromatic spices, herbs, ghee (clarified butter) and delectable chunks of tender drop off the bone lamb, blended and cooked together.  Biriyani is a favorite across generations, is served at weddings, parties and is generally considered the ultimate celebration dish. With its heady aroma, vibrant colors, and spicy curry flavor it is totally addictive. Partner Rice with vegetables, lamb, chicken, beef, fish or prawn and each Biriyani will have its unique flavor.

Of all the Biriyanis I have ever tasted, my brother-in-law’s (husband’s brother) creation, is my all-time favorite. He makes it in a large pressure cooker and is as close to “Dum” Biriyani as I have ever eaten. “Dum” Biriyani is a method of blending rice and meat, in a sealed, heavy bottomed vessel, slow cooked for hours, to infuse the flavors from the various spices and herbs, making the meat incredibly tender. Biriyani for weddings is often made outdoors on firewood to efficiently make huge pots to feed thousands. An average Indian wedding has a few thousand guests and can totally bankrupt you. Just kidding but hey (!) my wedding was considered a small wedding and I had about 1000 guests.  Beats me why every neighbor, long lost relative, coworker, acquaintance is invited, but that is the way it is. Tradition!  Enjoyable! Chaotic! but great fun, nevertheless. So, cooking outdoors in large pots to feed the masses makes sense and it is at these outdoor cooking spaces that my Brother in Law learnt to make the famous “Dum” Biriyani. Apparently, he would sneak out during the wedding ceremony and watch the cooks at work. He learnt all the tricks and makes the best biryani! He gave me his recipe 25 years back, but my biryani is never the same. I have cooked all kinds of Biriyani using different methods, but the instant pot method is the closest to “Dum” Biriyani and my brother in law’s, that I have ever made. An instant pot seals in flavors and all in a fraction of the time normally taken. However, you cannot make large quantities in the instant-pot so it is not a method I generally use when I have company.

My Biriyani : I use a ready-made Biriyani mix (masala powder) and then add my own spice to it. As a general rule, 1 tsp masala powder, and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste =1 cup rice. So, if I am making 5 cups of rice which is my usual measurements for the instant pot, I would use 5 tsps. of masala powder and 5 tbsps. of ginger garlic paste. Ginger garlic paste is available at Indian stores along with Biriyani masala powder, but I generally like making my own in the ratio of 1:2 ginger to garlic. I like to add green chili and a little bit of vinegar to my paste. Caramelizing onion is an especially important step and is the crux of a good Biriyani. Frying all the spices with the onion, ginger garlic paste till oil / ghee (clarified butter) floats on top is also especially important to get a tasty Biriyani. I add a mix of coconut oil or olive oil and homemade ghee (clarified butter) for my Biriyani. Adding fresh mint and cilantro is like the icing on the cake. But I have often had to make do with mint chutney paste and dried cilantro. This summer I plan to grow my own herbs, so hopefully, I will have fresh herbs most year around. Shrimp Biriyani has a unique flavor and would taste better with dill which is the classic seafood herb instead of cilantro, but I did not have dill, so I used cilantro. If you do have dill, please try it. It transports the Biriyani to another level.

Instant Pot Biriyani : It is important to reduce the liquid when using the Instant Pot because the rice will cook in its own steam. Let me simplify it for you.  In general, 1: 1.5 is a good measure for liquids. The liquids should include gravy which will be generated when you fry the onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste etc. If you think the gravy would equal 2 cups, you minus that from the liquids. For an average 5 cup instant pot Biriyani, I would use only 5 to 6 cups stock or water because 1 or 2 cups of the liquid would be from the gravy. Too much liquid with make a soggy but still a tasty Biriyani. The rice setting may be different for each Biriyani and you must follow that guide. My instant pot gives me an 18-minute sensor to cook rice. I prefer to allow natural release in my instant pot to ensure even cooking. I sometimes use the instant pot to sauté the masala, so it is only one pot to clean but this time I cooked the masala stovetop and then transferred to the instant pot. Biryani is my almost always “cheer me up”comfort food <3 and I am so happy to share this recipe with you! From my kitchen to yours!

On a personal note today ( April 23^rd) is one of those days, probably one of the reasons I reached out to pen a blog post and reap the cathartic benefits. We just heard that a dear friend of mine lost her husband to cancer. They were prepared you could say, because he was moved to hospice a few days ago, and has been battling cancer over a year now. But is one ever really prepared to deal with such loss. They have been married over 30 years and after that time together I cannot even imagine the pain my dear friend must be feeling. All of us miss him but his dear wife of 30 plus years who has been with him day in and day out is the hero. As I am writing this, I feel my oldest child’s foot snuggled under a soft blanket while she watches Kung Fu Panda. My oldest who is logically mature by nature, still giggles like a kid watching Disney classics. I glance at my youngest curled up in the Papasan watching a movie and playing candy crush. Her new pastime since she decided to give up social media for a while. My social butterfly who loves talking to her friends and whips up amazing culinary creations. I listen to my husband taking his work calls in the upstairs bedroom, a little too loud putting his all into his work like he does everything else in life and I feel incredibly thankful and fortunate to have what I have. My friend will be ok. She is one of the strongest persons I know and an incredibly positive person but my heart breaks for her as I say a prayer for her. Life is so precious and every milestone, every birthday we celebrate this gift called “life”. Especially these days with the coronavirus claiming more lives than we thought possible, whether to the virus, aliments, depression or the economy people are hurting.  I am learning to not take one moment of life or that of my loved ones for granted. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone so I will live life, with its perfect, near perfect, sometimes mundane, some exciting , sometimes uncertain moments with a thankful heart and just love everybody ( differences and all) and be at peace with myself and my fellowmen. Stay safe everyone and thanks for stopping by. Love

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