Full tutorial video above. Shrimp rice is so delicious, healthy and easy. This Persian style rice with lots of herbs and spices, makes a happy family dinner. Sneak in whole grains while still keeping it tempting!
Bring 3¼ cups water to a boil. Add ⅔ teaspoon salt and 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add the brown rice first. Lower the heat, place a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
Then add quinoa and white basmati rice to the same pot. Cover and let it all simmer till the grains are well done (approx. additional 20 minutes). Tip: If you are not sure of the cooking times for rice and quinoa, then check instructions below for cooking them separately.
COOK SHRIMP
Heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil at medium setting in a cooking pot. Add chopped onions and sauté few minutes.
Then add grated garlic and continue to sauté until the onions are light golden brown. Add sliced red bell pepper and sauté. Next, add shrimp and sauté for a minute.
Then add curry powder, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, ⅓ teaspoon salt, the herbs, and stir it all.
It should need only a total of 4 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp start changing color and curl a little bit. Pick out the shrimp and set it aside. Tip: Do not over cook the shrimp.
ASSEMBLE SHRIMP AND RICE
Place the rice-quinoa mixture with the sautéed onion-herbs mixture in several alternating layers in a heavy bottomed cooking pot. Sprinkle lemon juice and saffron water over the final layer. Cover with a lid.
Raise the heat to medium high for about 5 minutes and then reduce it to low setting and simmer for about 25 minutes or more until the steam builds up well. Once the rice is ready, turn off the heat.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD (Cooking Rice and Quinoa Separately)
Bring ¾ cup of water to a rolling boil in a sauce pan. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon olive oil. Then add ½ cup brown basmati rice, stir and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, place a lid and allow it to cook until all the water is absorbed for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Bring 1 cup of water to a rolling boil in a sauce pan. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ tablespoon olive oil. Then add ½ cup quinoa, stir and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and allow it to cook until all the water is absorbed for about 20 minutes.
Bring 3 ½ cups of water and ¾ tablespoon salt to a boil in a cooking pot. Add the white basmati rice and let it boil at medium high to high heat for 5-6 minutes until the rice grains are soft. Make sure to stir the rice while it is cooking. Drain the rice well in a colander and set aside.
Use the cooked rice and quinoa to layer it with the sautéed onion-herbs mixture and complete the process as mentioned above under "Assemble Shrimp and Rice".
Video
Notes
Rice
Cooking times and water needed for rice may vary. Check package for instructions or test with a small quantity first.
If unsure about cooking times, try cooking white rice, brown rice and quinoa separately.
Quick cooking or parboiled brown basmati rice cooks much faster. Rinse the rice several times until the water is clear and not starchy.
Fluffy Rice: The amount of water added while cooking the rice is very important to the final texture of this dish. Keep in mind the additional moisture from shrimp, herbs and onions. So, in the first step, cook the rice to be fluffy, hold its shape well and is not too wet or delicate.
Shrimp
It is safer to buy frozen shrimp than thawed in store. Be sure to weigh the shrimp after peeling.
If buying raw shrimp with heads-on, then about 35% of weight is lost after removing the heads. Removing the shell, lowers the weight further by 15%.
You may use cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes. For milder rice use paprika.
Frozen or dried fenugreek leaves are available at Indian grocery stores.
Salt
Check for any added salt in spice mixes and other ingredients and adjust.
The sodium value for shrimp used was from the USDA national nutrient database which is based on retail market shrimp that typically come in contact with sodium solutions during processing. The sodium value may vary if using fresh untreated raw shrimp.