photo credit: rovingI

Chemmeen in Malayalam Prawn is quite a sought after seafood amongst malayalees

Prawns – 250 gms (with heads removed, deveined and washed)
Coconut oil or any cooking oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds (sarson)  – 1tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) – a pinch
Onion – 1 no (finely sliced)
Green chilies – 3-4 nos (slit length wise)
Garlic – 10-12 flakes (finely chopped)
Ginger – 1 tbsp (sliced)
Tamarind – golf ball sized (soak it in water)
Coconut milk – ¾ cup
Salt to taste
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Water – 1 tbsp

1. Combine together last three ingredients and keep aside (spice paste)
2. In a pan heat oil and tip in mustard seeds. Post they sputter add fenugreek, onion, garlic, ginger and green chili and fry till onions turns translucent
3. Add in the spice paste and fry further
4. Extract the tamarind pulp and salt. Stir nicely and bring to boil
5. Add prawns and cook till they are half done *
6. Add coconut milk, mix and bring to boil
7. Remove from the heat
8. Serve with rice, appam or puttu

*as the prawns cook very fast and over exposure to heat might make them turn rubbery

Till next time…happy cooking!

We got to taste the yummy Shrimp Pulao made by our vegetarian aunt at Haren a small town with 23k population located in Germany. Its amazing how despite being a pure vegetarian some one can prepare a non vegetarian dish with such ease and taste.

Deveined and clean Prawns / shrimp – 750 gms

Plain yoghurt / curd – 5 tbsp

freshly pounded ginger and garlic paste – 3-4 tbsp

Onions – 3 numbers big – (finely chopped)

Tomato – 2 numbers big – (finely chopped)

Green chili -2 numbers (finely chopped)

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Garam masala – freshly ground preferred else use ready made

Chili powder – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

1. Wash rice and cook separately
2. Marinate shrimp in yoghurt, fresh ginger-garlic paste and garam masala for atleast 1 hr or more
3. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan and add onions. Fry for a while
4. Add tomatoes and fry well
5. Add green chillies and red chili powder and stir
6. Add the marinated prawns and cook till gravy is almost thick and the water content has evaporated
7. Season
8. Add cooked rice and stir gently avoiding breaking of rice grains
9. Garnish with chopped coriander / parsley
10. Serve hot with raita, pickle and papad / plain potato chips

Meet our peppy aunt Biji Gopi Ram