Ingredients

• Shrimp - 1 lb.
• Basmati Rice or Plain white Rice - 2 cups
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Pepper corn - 3 - 4
• Cloves - 1 - 2
• Bay Leaves (optional) - 2
• Red Chili Powder - 2 - 3 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Lemon - 1 tbsp
• Water - 3 cups
• Coconut Milk (optional) - 1 cup
• Cashews (optional) - 1/4 cup
• Salt to Taste

Instructions

1. Wash and Soak the rice in water for about half an hour.
2. Peel and clean the shrimp well. Marinate it with red chili powder, turmeric, garlic paste, and salt and keep it aside. (You can marinate it anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hours.)
3. Bring 3 cups of water to boil. At the same time, put some oil in a big pan and add the cloves, pepper and bay leaves to hot oil. Then add the chopped onions and fry it till it becomes golden brown. You can add cashews (optional) once the onion is done and then add the marinated shrimp. Sauté the shrimp with the onion for about 2 minutes after which you are ready to add the soaked rice. Give it a quick mix but don't over stir it as it may cause the rice to break. 
4. Keep the flame on medium to high heat. Once it comes to a slight boil, add 1 cup coconut milk and lower the heat. Cover it and let it simmer. Note that if you are not putting coconut milk, then simply increase the quantity of water from 3 cups to 4 cups.
5. Switch off the heat once the rice is done. Some people worry that the shrimp may get overcooked but since the flame is on low to medium heat, it doesn't happen.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a lemon wedge on the side. Some people also like to garnish with freshly grated coconut. (I also added extra fried onions on top for added flavor but this is a completely optional step)