More than 25 years ago, my mother gave me a seafood biriyani recipe, which I carefully wrote down in a spiral notebook. For years, I never actually made it. When I finally looked it over, I couldn't help feeling that something wasn't quite right.

My mother was never particularly good at explaining recipes. I would follow her verbal instructions faithfully, only for her to taste the finished dish and announce that something was missing.

"But you never told me that!" I would protest.

With complete confidence, she would reply, "Well, it needed to be in there!"

So this recipe may have a key ingredient missing, or perhaps an extra ingredient or two. In any case, I've used it to make shrimp biriyani many times, always to rave reviews.

Just today, I suggested to my son that he take some as a host gift when visiting someone's home for the first time. He immediately dismissed the idea as "weird." I suspect the truth was that he wanted to keep the entire tray for himself.

Ingredients

For the Rice

800 g basmati rice
0.75 g cloves
0.75 g peppercorns
0.75 g cardamom pods
0.75 g cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp salt
1.5 litres water

For the Shrimp

1.5 kg shrimp, shelled
3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt, to taste
Oil for frying (be generous)

For the Masala Paste

Blend the following to a smooth paste:

3 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds (nalla jeerakam, the thin brown cumin)
1 tsp fennel seeds (perum jeerakam, the pale green seeds)
90 g ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp white poppy seed powder*
30 g fresh coriander leaves

*To make the poppy seed powder, lightly roast the seeds and grind to a fine powder.

For the Masala Base

6 tbsp oil
500 g onions, thinly sliced
8 Thai red chillies, slit lengthwise (adjust to your spice tolerance)
600 g tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
Salt, to taste
1 tsp garam masala

For Layering

½ tsp saffron strands, ground to a powder
Juice of 2 limes
100 g butter, cut into small cubes

Method

Step 1: Marinate and Fry the Shrimp

Shell, wash, and drain the shrimp well.

Mix together the Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. You may add a little water to form a thick paste if you prefer. Toss the shrimp in the spice mixture until evenly coated.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat.

Arrange the shrimp in a single layer and fry for about 1 minute. Turn them over carefully and fry for another minute. Remove and place in a bowl in a single layer.

Repeat until all the shrimp have been fried. Avoid piling the hot shrimp on top of one another, as they will steam and lose some of their lovely fried texture.

Step 2: Prepare the Masala Base

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot.

Add the sliced onions and chillies and fry until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw smell disappears.

Add the prepared masala paste and cook, stirring frequently so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Continue frying until the raw aroma gives way to a rich, cooked fragrance.

Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Mix well, cover, and allow the tomatoes to soften.

Check and stir regularly, using a wooden spoon to gently mash the tomatoes as they cook.

When the tomatoes have completely blended into the masala and the oil begins to separate around the edges, the masala is ready.

Remove the pot from the heat. Add the fried shrimp, sprinkle with the garam masala, and mix gently.

Step 3: Cook the Rice

The rice can be prepared ahead of time and set aside if that suits your schedule.

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it for at least 30 minutes.

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the whole spices and salt. If you prefer, tie the spices in a small muslin cloth so they can easily be removed later. I also like to add a few saffron strands at this stage.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Once the water returns to a rolling boil, cook until the rice is partially cooked. It should still have a slight bite and should not be fully tender.

Drain immediately in a large colander.

Remember, the rice will finish cooking during the final baking stage.

Step 4: Layer the Biriyani

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Mix the ground saffron with the lime juice and set aside.

I usually use disposable foil trays for layering the biriyani, but a large roasting pan works equally well.

Using a slotted spoon, gently spread a layer of rice in the tray, taking care not to break the grains.

Sprinkle some of the saffron-lime mixture over the rice and dot with a few cubes of butter.

Add a layer of the shrimp masala.

Repeat the layers, finishing with rice on top. A simple three-layer arrangement of rice, shrimp, and rice works perfectly.

Pour over any remaining saffron-lime mixture and scatter the remaining butter over the surface.

Cover tightly with foil, sealing the edges well.

Bake until ready to serve. The gentle heat allows all the flavours to mingle and the rice to finish cooking beautifully.

To Serve

Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to gently mix some of the shrimp and masala through the rice. Be careful not to break the delicate grains.

I like to serve shrimp biriyani with raitha, lobster chips, and a sweet pickle. My favourite accompaniment is Patak's Aubergine Pickle.

This was our Eid-ul-Adha 2020 meal, which is rather funny when you consider that lamb or goat biriyani is the traditional choice for the occasion. But sometimes a tray of shrimp biriyani simply wins the day.