Prawn Rice is one of the most special rice from my Home Town – Thoothukudi. Being a coastal region, we prepare this type of dishes. This prawn rice has wonderful aroma, fantastic flavor and attractive color, as we roast and ground the spices and prepare a fresh masala for the rice. Also this rice is packed with health benefits, as we add Moringa Leaves or Drumstick spinach because they perfectly go well with prawns and has iron content which helps in increasing the hemoglobin content and iron content.

This goes out well with Rice crackers, Omelette and Coriander Thuvaiyal. Let me share the recipe…

Prawn Rice / Yera Sadham

Ingredients:

• Prawns – 500 gm
• Prawn heads – 250 gm
• Rice – 2 ½ cups
• Moringa leaves (murungaikeerai) or Amaranthus Artis (Arakeerai) – 200 gm (only leaves)
• Onions – 200 gm
• Tomato – 150 gm
• Garlic – 5 cloves
• Dry red chillies – 8 nos
• Coriander seeds – 3 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek/Vendhayam/Methi seeds – ¾ tsp
• Grated Coconut – 50 gm
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Split Black gram – ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sesame oil / Gingelly oil / Nallennai – 2 tbsp.

Red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds getting roasted for masala

About to grind for masala

Ground masala

Prawn head about to grind with water

Grounded prawn head

Getting strained

Temperd with mustard seeds, split black gram and a pinch of cumin seeds, onions getting cooked

With Moringa leaves / Murunga Keerai

With finely chopped prawns

with rice, salt

About to pressure-cook

Pressure-cooked rice

With masala and prawns

About to pressure-cook

Pressure-cooked rice

Prawn Rice / Yera Sadham

Preparation:

• Clean the Prawns and Prawn Head.
• Finely chop 6 to 7 pieces of prawns.
• Wash, clean and chop the moringa leaves or amaranthus artis, keep it aside.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic, keep it aside.
• Roughly chop tomatoes into pieces and keep it aside.
• Grind the prawns head with a cup of water, strain the water and keep it aside.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a tawa and roast red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and coconut until the raw smell goes off. Make sure that coconut should be roasted in a way as they should not be burnt or turn golden brown in color.
• Transfer them to a plate, bring them to room temperature and grind them to a fine paste by adding water.
• Heat the leftover oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds, split black gram, ¼ tsp of fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, wait until they crackle.
• Add in the onions and garlic, cook until they get glassy appearance.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
• Add the spinach and cook for 2 mins.
• Add in the chopped prawns followed by salt and turmeric powder, cook for 3 mins.
• Add in the rice, pour water along with prawn water (for 1 cup of rice, pour 2 cups of water).
• Pressure-cook for 2 whistles. Remove the lid when the pressure subsides, gently stir in.
• Pour the ground masala along with prawns and 2 ½ cups of water, pressure-cook for 2 whistles.
• Remove the lid when the pressure subsides, give a stir and transfer it to plate.

Serve hot with Rice crackers, Omelette and Coriander Thuvaiyal (thick chutney).

Making of Prawn rice: