I am a huge seafood lover, especially prawns. Small or big, they are packed with flavour and nutrients, and are extremely versatile.
Living in Australia, we are blessed to have such a good variety to choose from. King prawns and tiger prawns are my personal favourites, but there’s also banana, endeavour, coral, scarlet, bay and red spot prawns on offer.
Here are two very different preparations. One is a dry preparation that’s an excellent appetizer, and the other, a delicious coconut milk based curry all the way from God’s own country.
 PRAWNS WITH CASHEWNUT PASTE (Kaju Jhinga)
A unique and interesting dish. Instead of using whole nuts, the cashewnuts are ground to a paste along with spices to create a flavourful marinade for the prawns.
Ingredients
- 600 gms tiger prawns; deshelled and veined
- ¼ cup cashewnuts; soaked in warm water for at least 15 min
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 1 green chilli
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (adjust to heat preferences)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- Salt, to season
- Vegetable oil, enough to pan fry the prawns
- Chaat masala, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Method
- Shell and devein the prawns; clean well and drain.
- Blend the cashewnuts, ginger, garlic, green chilli, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and kasuri methi to prepare the marinade.
- Place the prawns in a glass bowl, season with salt and add the marinade. Mix well to coat the prawns evenly and keep aside for at least 1 hour (longer, if possible).
- Heat enough vegetable oil in a pan to shallow fry the prawns.
- Once the oil is hot enough, pan fry them in batches till done.
- Sprinkle chaat masala on the fried prawns and serve warm with lemon wedges.
Note: The prawns can also be grilled, in an oven or a charcoal grill.
KERALA-STYLE PRAWN CURRY
A deliciously creamy prawn curry simmered with spices, aromatics and coconut milk. Spoon generously over piping hot rice!
Ingredients
- 800 gms tiger prawns; deveined and shelled (but retain shell at the tail end)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil + 1 tbsp for tempering
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 small red onions; finely sliced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 5 green chillies (whole)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder (adjust to heat preferences)
- 1 ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt, to season
- ½ tsp Freshly milled black pepper
- 2 dried Kashmiri red chillies
- 4-5 sprigs curry leaves
- 400ml coconut milk
 Method
- Heat the coconut oil in a deep pan (use an earthenware pot, if you have one).
- When the oil gets warm, add the mustard seeds and allow to crackle.
- Then add the fenugreek seeds, half of the curry leaves and green chillies.
- Next add the ginger paste and sliced onions; sauté till the onions are softened and translucent.
- Then add the turmeric, chilli, black pepper and coriander powder; mix well to combine and reduce heat to avoid the spices from burning.
- Add the cleaned prawns and 300ml coconut milk (reserve the remaining). Season with salt and mix well. Bring to boil and then simmer gently on low heat till the they are cooked.
- Once the prawns are cooked, add the remaining coconut milk and mix well. Adjust seasoning and remove from heat.
- In another small pan, heat coconut oil and add the remaining curry leaves and dry red chillies. Fry for a few seconds and add this to the prepared prawn curry. Keep covered for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy over steamed long grain rice.
Check out more recipes by Dhanya Samuel here
Read More: Dinner for four: an Indian-Australian meal
