Shrimp with Rice
Ingredients
Shrimp
1 kg shrimps, with skin, washed, and heads cut off
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
Stuffing
3 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup bunch of coriander, chopped
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, green
1/2 teaspoon dried black lime powder, loomi
1 1/2 teaspoon baharat spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 tablespoon turmeric
5 saffron threads
1/4 cup rosewater
Rice
3 cups rice, washed and soaked in cold water with a dash of salt
1 onion, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3 whole black peppers
4 cardamom pods, partly opened
salt to taste
Cooking method according to shahiya.com
1. Soak the saffron threads in the rosewater and set aside so the saffron releases its color.
2. To cook the shrimp, place it in a saucepan with the turmeric and some salt. Pour enough water to cover and leave to boil until shrimp is cooked.
3. Drain the shrimp and reserve the shrimp broth for later. Peel the black thread from the shrimp and leave in a strainer.
4. To prepare the stuffing: Start by crushing the garlic cloves with the ginger and green peppers, and leave aside.
5. In a medium saucepan, roast the chopped onions and the dried black lime powder until onions are tender and brown. Sprinkle some water if onions stick to the pan.
6. Add the crushed garlic mix and the rest of the stuffing ingredients:baharat, salt, cardamom powder, turmeric, vegetable oil and coriander. Mix for a few minutes before adding the shrimp to the stuffing then stir for 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle a little bit of the rosewater-saffron mix. Cover and simmer for a few minutes, and then remove from heat.
8. To prepare the rice: In a large saucepan put the reserved shrimp-broth along with some boiled water to make a total of 6 cups of liquid. Then add in the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, black peppers, and cloves. Bring to a boil and add salt to taste.
9. Add the rice and stir for a few seconds to prevent from sticking. Boil until rice is half-cooked, then drain and place back into the same saucepan.
10. In the meantime, fry the sliced onion in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil then mix with the shrimp stuffing.
11. Finally, take out some rice from the middle of the saucepan leaving rice at the bottom and the sides of the saucepan. Put shrimp in the hole and cover with the rice you took out. Sprinkle the remaining rosewater-saffron water, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
12. When done, remove the rice you covered the mixture with and take out the shrimps carefully and set aside, then move the rice to a serving platter and arrange the shrimps on top.
H.Zoghib