We had our first Hilsa of the year this week. The Hilsa was fresh but nothing appealing to the apetite.Actually it was forced upon me by the fish wallah.Apart from the monsoons, I usually refrain from buying Hilsas. And that is when my second favourite fish comes in.I had prepared a Prawn Curry sometime back with Coconut milk and poppy seed paste. But this one was one notch tastier. Notably the whisked yoghurt, cashew paste, mustard-poppy seed paste and coconut milk made it delicious.And I never miss out on adding a couple of table spoons of ghee in the end.
Serves:3-4
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
- Bagda Chingri (Tiger Prawns): 400 gms.
- Coconut Milk: 1.5 cups
- Whisked Yoghurt: 50 gms.
- PoppySeed Paste: 4 tbsp
- Mustard Seed Paste: 1 tbsp
- Cashew Nut Paste: 3 tbsp
- Green Chilli: 5-6.Slit
- Vegetable Oil: 4tbsp for frying the prawns, 2 tbsp for the curry.
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
Powdered Spices:
- Turmeric Powder: 1.5 tbsp for coating the prawns,1/2 tsp for the curry
- Cumin Powder: 1.5 tsp
- Coriander Powder: 1.5 tsp
Garam Masala/Whole Spices:
- Bay Leaf: 1
- Green Cardamon: 3-4
- Cinnamon Stick: A 1 inch piece
- Cloves: 3-4
Procedure:
- Coat the prawns with 1.5tbsp of turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for 15 mins.
- Heat 4 tbsp of vegetable oil in a kadai. Wait for the oil to become hot.
- Once the oil gets hot, turn the flame to low.
- Fry the prawns 2-3 at a time for a maximum of 2 mins, at the end of which the prawns will turn golden yellow.
- Rest the fried prawns on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.
- In the same kadai, heart 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
- Add all the garam masalas to the oil.
- When the spices start to crackle and release their aroma, add 5-6 tbsp of water.
- Immediately turn the heat to low and add the powdered spices
- Stir the mixture for 2 mins so that the spiecs blend well.
- Under continued low flame, add the cashew paste, coconut milk, poppy seed paste and whisked yoghurt.
- Stir the mixture for 3-4 mins to ensure that the yoghurt does not turn grainy.
- Add the prawns to the mixture along with some water(preferably half cup).
- Sprinkle salt and sugar and stir for some more time.
- Cover the kadai with a lid and let the prawns cook for 15 mins under low heat.
- Check the level of salt nd sugar and adjust accordingly.. The Chingrir Malaikari based dishes are especially more on the sweeter side.
- Spread some ghee over the mixture and serve hot with steamed rice.
