Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   4      dozen         prawns -- shelled, deveined
   7                    green chillies -- up to 8
   4                    onions -- sliced finely, up
                        -- to 5
   3      sticks        cinnamon -- up to 4
   9                    cardamoms -- up to 10
     1/4  teaspoon      turmeric
   2                    tomatoes -- skinned and
                        -- choppcd, up to 4
   2      teaspoons     salt
   6      cloves        garlic -- ground, up to 8
   1      pound         basmati rice -- soak in water
                        for atleast 1 hour
  10      cloves        -- up to 12
   1      teaspoon      cummin seed
   1      teaspoon      sugar -- up to 2
                        saffron for colouring
                        coriander leaves

Preparation:

METHOD: Fry the onions golden brown. Remove about 2 onions for later use. In the remaining onions, add in chopped coriander, green chillies, garlic and turmeric allowing it to cook for a few minutes. Add in chopped tomatoes, cook till pulpy, and then add in prawns with about 4 cups of water. When the prawns are nearly done, add chilli powder and sugar and allow to simmer till about 1/2 cup of gravy is remaining. In the meantime, boil the rice with salt, removing when half done. Drain off the water and cool. In a pan put the reserved fried onions with oil, on a slow fire and add in cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and cummin seed which have been pounded slightly. Allow to simmer for a few minutes and remove off the fire. In a large pan, spread half the rice and layer with prawns, fried onions with garam masala. prawn gravy and then lastly another layer of rice which has been infused with saffron, topping it with very hot oil. Cover the pan and cook on a low fire for atleast 10 minutes. Mix all the palao together, cover and cook till rice is done Recipes by Jeroo Mehta