20 Jun 2 for 1 Prawn Masala
I am always looking for recipes that can be used for two meals. This one is a delicious example of just that. A portion of the finished dish is reserved for Prawn Puttu (steamed rice cake with prawns described in the next post) and the rest is mixed with roasted coconut slices which was nothing short of a symphony in my mouth.
The secret to this dish is slowly caramelizing the onions (the sugars in the onion cook into a rich brown color, but not black!) and then taking your time cooking down the ginger, garlic, chilies and tomatoes. While that is going is an efficient time to clean the prawns, especially if you have a little helper! We used two pounds of these bad boys, but the recipe could be easily scaled down.
I like to avoid non-stick pans and so start with heating my cast iron skillet for about 3 minutes on medium high. This is a good time to slice the onions. (If you are using a non-stick skillet, it will only take a minute to heat up and so slice the onions before heating the pan)
Pour the oil into the hot skillet and after 30 seconds put in the sliced onions and turn the heat down to medium low. Chop the ginger, garlic, chillies and tomato and set aside.
As the onions are caramelizing, we ( my little helper who loves seafood and so is eager to help!) start cleaning the prawns. After peeling them I butterflied them so that he could devein. We use the plastic bag that the shrimp came in to collect the peels and veins and organize a pile for peeled and deveined shrimp. There is ample opportunity in the kitchen to teach organizational skills!
Keep an eye on your onions stirring them intermittently. When they are a light brown add the ginger, garlic and chillies.
When the ginger gets a light brown color it’s time to add the tomatoes and let it cook down to a mush.
The process up till here is the base to many curries and is a little time consuming but is essential for a rich gravy. Next, add the powdered spices and salt and cook for a minute with constant stirring so that it doesn’t burn.
Add the water and tomato paste and turn up the heat to medium high, mix thoroughly and cook for another minute.
Then, add the cleaned prawns and cook stirring frequently till they turn opaque. This will take about 5 minutes. Don’t overcook.
Reserve a a cup of the Prawn Masala for the Prawn Puttu ( Recipe in the next post).
Heat a separate skillet on medium and add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is heated up (about 30 seconds) put in the coconut slices and stir fry till most of the pieces are golden brown. Coconut burns easily so stir constantly.
Mix the fried coconut slices with the remaining prawns, garnish with cilantro and enjoy! Hear the symphony??
Ingredients
2 lb headless prawns (or 3 lbs while prawns
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil adds more dimension to the dish)
1 medium onion sliced
2 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
8 large cloves of garlic chopped small
1 large chilly pepper ( I used Serrano) chopped small
1 tomato chopped small
1 tsp cayenne powder (adjust up or down for heat.)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt ( adjust to taste)
2 heaping teaspoons of tomato paste
2 cups of water
1/2 cup coconut slices ( I used thawed frozen ones)
1 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Method
1. Fry the onion slices in a 1/4 cup oil in a medium skillet over medium low heat.
2. When the onions are golden brown, add the ginger, garlic and chillies.
3. When the ginger is a golden brown add the tomatoes and cook till it is mushy.
4. Add the powdered spices and salt and stir constantly for a minute.
5. Add the water and tomato paste and cook for another minute on medium high.
6. Add the cleaned prawns, mix thoroughly and cook for 5 minutes or until opaque, stirring frequently.
7. Reserve 1 cup of of the Prawn Masala to make Prawn Puttu (recipe in the next post)
7. In a separate skillet over medium heat fry the coconut slices in 2 Tbsp of oil, stirring constantly until most slices are golden brown. Then, add to the Prawn Masala and garnish with chopped cilantro.