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!

For recipe click here

• Chili Egg Fried Rice
• Sizzled Chili Prawns

Chilli Prawns Pic credit: Priya Q

I tried this recipe out from one of the books that I have. In India, most of us face this problem where we can’t find the foreign ingredients and are not aware what the substitutes could be. Dry sherry is one of the ingredients in this recipe. Used rice wine which Q picked during his Hong Kong trip. The result wasn’t too impressive. Rice wine gave a peculiar taste that both of us didn’t like Though the book says that it a substitute for sherry. Anyways, I tried with red wine and the results were better. Check out the Chili Prawn recipe…

Shelled tiger prawns (shrimp) – 500 gms
Soy sauce – 4 tbsp
Dry sherry / red wine – 4 tbsp
Dried red chillies – 2 nos, seeded and chopped
Garlic cloves – 2 nos, crushed or finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp grated
Water – 4-5 tbsp
Spring onions – a bunch (scallions)
Cashew – salted or plain – 50 gms
Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
Cornflour – 2 tsp dissolved in 2.5 tbsp of water

1. In a large bowl mix wine/sherry, chillies, garlic, ginger and water
2. Add prawns, spring onions and cashew and mix well. Cover tightly with a shrink wrap and leave to marinate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. In a skillet or wok heat oil.
4. Remove shrimp, spring onions and cashews from the marinade using a slotted spoon and add to the wok, reserving the marinade
5. Stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes
6. Mix cornflour into the reserved marinade and add to the wok and stir fry for about 30 seconds, until the marinade forms a slightly thickened glaze over the prawn
7. Serve Sizzled Chili Prawns hot with rice or noodles.

Till next time….happy cooking!

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