Recipies

COORG PRAWN MASALA by Shyamala Madappa

INGREDIENTS:

10 dried red chillies

8-9 cloves garlic peeled

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 fresh lime (or) ½ tbsp kachimpuli

1 tbsp salt (or as required)

2 whole onion (big size), peeled & coarsely chopped

2 inch long piece of ginger, pounded to a paste 750gms prawn 4 tbsp of vegetable oil 400ml coconut milk 80ml water 2 slit green chillies (deseeded if you prefer it mild); one pinch of sugar; chopped tomatoes; 2 cashew nut;1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

For the powdered spices; 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds 3 peppercorns 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a heavy pan and add chopped onions, curry leaves and cook till they turn golden brown.

2. Add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic paste and the ground mixture. (Ground mixture-fry half of the onion, garlic, cashew, red chillies tomatoes and (6 to 7 prawns) with little oil. Combine all fried ingredients and then grind them to a coarse paste in a mixer-grinder). Add coriander powder, pepper powder, cumin powder and cook till oil oozes out.

3. Add thick coconut milk and add shrimp, cook for 10-15mins. Then add pinch of sugar. Reduce the heat to low, add 1 cup of water and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes or till the prawn is cooked through. Add green chillies. 4. Finish off with coriander leaves. Enjoy with a bowl of rice or akki roti.

About The Contributor:

Shyamala Madappa has been inspired in her cooking by chef Vikas Khanna. Chef Khanna is one of the Indian chefs who have made it big in the Big Apple. He’s got a Michelin star to his name; his restaurant Junoon in New York’s Madison Square Park was certified with the coveted star in 2011. What is more, he has been proclaimed as one of the sexiest man alive by People Magazine!

A Coorg delicacy is often spicy and gives an intense flavour to the soft shrimps. There’s one thing that I strive to do, it would be to cook food with fresh ingredients. One of the main things about cooking seafood is that it takes very less time. I have opted for thick coconut milk in the recipe, which still lends that creamy flavour to the curry and balances the dish nicely.