Prawn Malaikari

Main Ingredient:Prawn – 1 lb raw, de-veined, medium-large size

Spices:Bay leaves/ Tejpata – 2
Red chilli pepper – 2 whole
Garam Masala for tempering – ½ teaspoon (coarsely grounded cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper)
Turmeric – 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Salt & sugar as per taste

Side Ingredients:Onion – 1 medium (chopped finely)
Garlic – 1 teaspoon finely chopped
Green chillies – 4/5 slit lengthwise
Poppy seeds paste – 2 table spoon (make the paste with little water)
Mustard paste – 1 ½ table spoon( Make the paste with salt & green chilli to get rid of its bitter taste, if still tastes bitter use a small sieve to strain the liquid)
Coconut milk – 2 table spoon
Yogurt – 1 tablespoon
Mustard oil – 2 tablespoon (this is highly recommended as the taste will totally change without mustard oil, but in case you don’t have access to mustard oil use vegetable oil)

Method:
If you are using freshly caught whole prawn then de-vein and wash thoroughly. I have used raw prewashed and deveined medium size prawn for this dish. Feel free to use whatever is available or favorite for you. For me I still like the fresh Galda chingri(type of prawn in Bengal) bought from farmer’s market/ bazaar, still moving their claws.






Marinade the prawn with pinch of turmeric, salt and sugar. Sometimes I add little amount of lime juice.

Heat oil in kadai/ deep frying pan and add whole red chillies, bay leaves and lightly grounded garam masala. Add chopped garlic. When the garlic starts to change its color to golden brown add chopped onion. Add turmeric and red chilli powder.

When the onion starts to get translucent add marinade prawn to the heat. Prawn is very sensitive ingredient and overdoing it leads to gummy like taste. So when it turns to orange yellowish color add poppy seeds & mustard paste.


The prawn gets cooked within 5 mins and turn to orange yellowish color.








Add salt and sugar to the curry and coconut milk. If needed add little amount of water. This recipe is neither very dry nor soupy consistency. Cook for 5 more mins. Beat the yogurt and add to the curry.

For rustic flavor add green chillies at the end which gives a nice aroma. Enjoy with white rice preferably Basmati rice.