Delicious tender marinated shrimp with rice is the perfect quick meal in less than 20 minutes. Made with aromatic basmati rice and lightly flavored with warm aromatic whole spices.
Table of Content
Who doesn't love a good pilaf or pilau, right? Aromatic basmati rice cooked in chicken stock until tender yet light and fluffy. You can also add vegetables or meat to it.
Pilaf or pilau is not the same as Biryani, because Biryani is not cooked in a broth. Check my Chicken Biryani recipe and you will see it's different.
My kids love rice, so this is very popular in our home. Add some meat and veggies, throw in some herbs and it's a healthy and nutritious meal.
Why make this rice pilaf?
- This recipe does not get any easier. It uses simple and easy to find ingredients most of which are pantry staples.
- And you can add some veggies in the rice or you can serve some veggies on the side to make this a complete meal.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Shrimps - I use fresh or frozen shrimps they take just about 10 to 20 minutes to thaw. You can also use prawns.
- Ginger and garlic - Onion, ginger, and garlic are an absolute must when making curry. Hence, you will rarely find a recipe that does not have them. So, make sure you buy fresh ginger and garlic for your Indian curries. They will make a huge difference.
- Onion - I love using sweet red onions and shallots in my rice recipes. And yet, you can use any onion that you have on hand.
- Whole spices - The whole spices add a warm aroma and flavor, and do not make this dish spicy. Do not add too much as they can be overpowering as well.
- Cilantro - I love using fresh cilantro. And yet, parsley works just as well.
Step by step instructions
Shrimps
- Clean the shrimp, pat them dry. Then, marinate the shrimps with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a non-stick pan. Add shrimp and cook on med-low heat for three minutes. Set aside.
Pro tip - Shrimps need only 3 to 5 minutes to cook. So cooking them first will make sure that they do not overcook and become chewy.
Rice pilaf
- Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Then, drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, add the remaining oil and whole spices. Saute for 30 seconds. Then, add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent.
Pro tip - I like to cook the onions for a bit before adding the garlic and ginger so they do not burn easily. - Next, add the rice, saute for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted. Then, add the green peas, fresh herbs followed by the water or stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and cover, and cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and keep covered for another 10 minutes.
Pro tip - Let the rice continue to cook in its residue heat for 10 minutes. This will ensure a light and fluffy rice. - As soon as the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat down to a low simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
- Finally, add the shrimp to the rice along with the more fresh herbs (cilantro and dill). Fluff the rice with a fork to ensure everything is well combined.
- Sprinkle more chopped cilantro before serving.
More rice recipes
- Chicken with Rice Pilaf or classic Rice Pilaf
- Cajun Chicken with Rice
- Turmeric Rice with Chicken and Peas
- Coconut Turmeric Rice
- Quick One-Pot Vegetable Rice
- Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Pilaf or Mustard Dill Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
- See all rice recipes
Frequently asked question
This recipe will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to a month.
Veggies! you can add more veggies to this rice. Chopped carrots, squash, parsnip, are great additions but they must be cut into small pieces similar to the peas. Otherwise, they will not cook at the same time as the rice.
Always read the package instructions for the quantity of water needed. Most manufacturers will usually tell you the best ratio needed for their brand of rice. It can make a huge difference to the end result of your recipe.
If you using Basmati or Jasmin rice, it usually is a 1 to 1 ½ ratio. So, for every one cup of rice, I will use 1 ½ cup water. If you add veggies I add ¼ cup water for every 1 cup of veggies added.
You may also like
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ it.
Save it for later.
You can also find a collection of my recipes and tutorials here on Pinterest. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
And, don't forget to subscribe to my blog to receive new recipes by email.
Printable Recipe
Shrimps with Rice
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowDescription
Video
Ingredients
Rice pilaf
- 1 cup (200 g) Basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes then drained
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 1½ cup (350 ml) broth or stock vegetable or chicken
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ cup (70 g) Fresh green peas
- ½ cup Cilantro fresh chopped
- ½ cup Dill fresh chopped
- 4 Cloves optional
- 2 Cardamons optional
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) Cinnamon stick optional
- 3 Bay leaves optional
Shrimps
- 1 cup (250 g) Shrimps deveined, washed and drained
- ½ teaspoon Paprika optional
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
Instructions
Shrimps
- Clean the shrimp, pat them dry. Then, marinate the shrimps with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a non-stick pan. Add shrimp and cook on med-low heat for three minutes. Set aside.Pro tip - Shrimps need only 3 to 5 minutes to cook. So cooking them first will make sure that they do not overcook and become chewy.
Rice pilaf
- Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Then, drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, add the remaining oil and whole spices. Saute for 30 seconds. Then, add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent.Pro tip - I like to cook the onions for a bit before adding the garlic and ginger so they do not burn easily.
- Next, add the rice, saute for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted. Then, add the green peas, fresh herbs followed by the water or stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and cover. Cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn the heat off and keep covered for another 10 minutes. Pro tip - Let the rice continue to cook in its residue heat for 10 minutes. This will ensure a light and fluffy rice.
- As soon as the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat down to a low simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
- Finally, add the shrimp to the rice along with the more fresh herbs (cilantro and dill). Fluff the rice with a fork to ensure everything is well combined.
- Sprinkle more chopped cilantro before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Measure the quantity of rice using a cup and use the same cup to measure the water ratio later.
- Always soak the rice for a minimum of 30 minutes to a maximum of an hour, not more.
- If you make a pilaf, lightly toast the rice in oil before you add water. The little oil that coats the rice will contribute to flaky rice that keeps them separate from each other.
- Use the right ratio of rice to water.
In the case of soaked long-grain rice, such as this basmati, 1 cup rice works best with 1 ½ cup water. If not soaked, use 2 cups water for every 1 cup long grain rice (see FAQ below). And if you don't know how much water, read the package instruction, since most rice manufacturers will give you a guide for their product. - If you use vegetables in the rice, add ¼ cup more water for every 1 cup of veggies. However, if you use frozen veggies, do not add more water, since frozen veggies tend to have excess moisture in them.
- Once the rice is lightly toasted - add the water and bring to a boil.
- Then, cover the pot and reduce the heat to an absolute simmer (low).
- Cook the rice covered for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes turn the heat off but do not open the pot - leave it for another 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes - open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Eden
Loved how quick and easy this was to make! My husband ate this right up and asked for seconds!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Eden. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Sara
Shrimp is so much easier than chicken because it thaws so fast - definitely! What a great recipe to utilize shrimp. Looks delicious and perfect for dinner any night of the week!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Sara. Absolutely great any night of the week.