← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 500 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric, for the prawns
• ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, for the prawns
• ½ tsp salt, for the prawns
• 3 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• 1 onion (or 8 shallots), thinly sliced
• 2 Green chilli, slit lengthways
• 3 cm piece Ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
• 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 1½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 Tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ tsp Black pepper, coarsely crushed (optional)

Method

1. Toss the prawns with the turmeric, chilli powder and salt for the prawns and set aside while you make the sauce.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; when they pop, add the fenugreek seeds and most of the curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
3. Add the onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic and cook for 6–8 min until the onion is soft and lightly golden.
4. Turn the heat down, stir in the chilli powder, coriander and turmeric for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 min until soft and jammy.
5. Stir in the tamarind, coconut milk and salt and bring to a gentle simmer for 3 min. Don’t let it boil hard or the coconut milk may split.
6. Add the prawns and simmer for 3–4 min, just until they turn pink and curl. Finish with the remaining curry leaves and the pepper and serve with rice or appam.

Tips

• Prawns overcook fast: take the pan off the heat as soon as they are pink, as they keep cooking in the hot sauce.
• Kudampuli (Malabar tamarind) is the traditional souring agent; tamarind paste is an easy swap.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Ministry of Curry Archana's Kitchen