Everyone in my family are seafood lovers. This prawns recipe is a a family favourite. It’s a mildly spiced prawns curry thats both tangy and creamy. I guarantee that you’ll fall in love with this delicacy if you too love seafood.
How I developed this recipe-
Goa is a tiny coastline country in India. Authentic tropical Goan prawns curry is delicious, but its little complicated because of its spice mix. As for me, prawns being a tender protein, that many spices doesn’t pay much justice to its flavour. So I simplified the traditional ‘Goan prawns ambotik’ to a more tangier, perfectly spiced and lightly creamy version. It’s an absolutely healthy humble curry using simple ingredients.
What’s special about this recipe-
![Goan adapted tender cooked prawns in creamy coconut-tomato gravy](https://theunn.com/old/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/E3241952-8366-4803-A4DF-DD35C81914EC-150x150.jpeg)
*I used Kashmiri red chilli powder instead of usual red chilli powder because, Kashmiri red chilli powder is more red in color but less hotter compare to normal red chilli powder.
. Tangy- *Seafood always tastes it’s best if prepared with sour additions.
Red tomato is a key ingredient in this dish which gives this dish a subtle sweetness alone with tanginess. The later taste is furthermore enhanced with an addition of tamarind pulp and a little squeeze of lemon. Mouthwatering..isn’t it?
. Coconut- Three forms of coconut-ground/milk/oil-are used in this recipe, which makes this curry healthy and creamy with good fats (MCT- Medium Chain Fatty acids that are known to boost metabolism) and subtly nutty flavour from the coconut.
What you’ll need-
. 4 shallots-roughly chopped
. 1 red onion-roughly chopped
. 1 teaspoon garlic paste
. Half inch piece of ginger-finely julienned/minced
. Half teaspoon mustard seeds
. 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves(with stems)-finely chopped
. Half teaspoon turmeric powder
. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
. 1 cup full fat thick coconut milk
. 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (seedless tamarind paste)
. One by fourth cup water
. 1 tomato-ground/puréed
. Coconut oil-as required (refer method)
. Salt- as required
For marinating prawns-
. 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
. Half teaspoon turmeric powder
. One by fourth teaspoon cumin powder
. Half teaspoon salt
. 2 teaspoons lemon juice
To grind-
. 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
. 1 or 2 red/green chillies
. Half teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
. Half of a small red/white onion
. 1 or 2 tablespoons of water
How to prepare-
- Marinate the prawns for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wide open non-stick pan and shallow fry the prawns (for maximum 2 minutes) to seal the spices. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
- In the same pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil and splutter mustard seeds. Sauté half of chopped coriander , ginger, garlic, shallots and onion till onions are translucent. Now add turmeric and coriander powder along with salt and sauté till the powders are well roasted and the raw smell is gone.
- Stir in the ground spicy coconut mix and sauté for 5 minutes (it should turn dry and oil should start to separate).
- Add the tomato puree and sauté again for another 5 minutes (till oil separates).
- Now add the tamarind pulp and stir to incorporate.
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir well to incorporate. Stir in prawns, add water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the flame & transfer to a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle rest of the chopped coriander on top and serve hot with a warm bowl of white rice or flatbreads.
. Do not overcook your prawns. Prawns and squids cooks faster than other seafood or meat and thus it could turn rubbery hard if cooked for longer durations than mentioned.
. You can make you curry more hot by adding an additional teaspoon of red chilli powder while sautéing turmeric and coriander powders.
Sentences marked with ‘*’ in the initial paragraphs of the recipe are 2 significant tips.