Prawns is a favourite at home and while Shrimp Pulau is reserved for weekends, this coconut-based curry keeps showing up at the dinner table every week.
My four-year-old son Noah devours the dish. He like seafood but prefers mildly-spiced curries.
Once the task of cleaning, peeling and deveining the prawns is done with, this curry is simple to prepare. Instead of grating and grinding the coconut, use readymade coconut milk -- that will save a lot of time and won't affect the taste either.
I prefer to clean the prawns over the weekend and marinate them with ginger-garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. It's then refrigerated and taken out just an hour before I start making the curry. That helps keep it fresh and I don't have to stress about cleaning the prawns on a work day.
Prawn Curry
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 500 gm prawns
- 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
- 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 green chilly, finely chopped, optional
- 2-3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, chopped into small pieces
- ½ of a fresh coconut grated or 200 ml packet readymade coconut milk
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilly powder
- 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- Small ball tamarind, soaked in a small bowl of water
- Salt to taste, around 1 tsp
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp oil
Method
- Wash, peel, devein and then marinate the prawns with ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chilly powder, pinch salt.
More salt will be added later in the curry, hence while marinating the prawns, use salt sparingly.
If you're using the prawns right away, no need to refrigerate.
If not, keep it chilled, preferably freeze.; - In a blender, combine the grated coconut or the coconut milk along with the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, remaining ¼ tsp red chilly powder, remaining ¼ tsp turmeric powder, tamarind along with the water it was soaked in and blend to a coarse mixture.
Do not add more water. - Heat the oil in a kadhai or frying pan over medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and saute.
Add the green chilly and the curry leaves.
Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste.
Add the dhania powder and mix. - Add the coconut mixture and let it fry well (if using the ground readymade coconut milk mixture don't add it yet).
Add 1 cup water and stir.
Add the cleaned prawns and cover the kadhai and let the prawns cook.
After 5 minutes, add the chopped potatoes.
Cover and let the prawns continue to cook along with the potatoes.
After 10 minutes, reduce the heat and if using readymade coconut milk, add the ground readymade coconut milk mixture.
Add the garam masala.
Add more salt, if required.
Bring to a boil and take off heat once the prawns are cooked, about 10 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
