The months post the three and half months long monsoon season, here in Mumbai, are terribly hot and humid. As the monsoon recedes, I dread looking ahead at October! For most of the northern hemisphere, October is the harbinger of cold winter months ahead however for Mumbai it happens to be the worst month of the year apart from April and May, perhaps. Where others are celebrating autumn, I look for ways to beat the sultry heat and try finding some comfort sitting in the cooler corners of the house.
But there is no escape from the kitchen heat…and during these hot months I try to fix meals that take least time in the kitchen yet keep the family satiated. Although this prawn curry is something I love to have anytime of the year, it seems ideal during these hot days when I avoid kitchen as much as possible. It takes virtually no time to cook. The meal is ready under 30 minutes and the family happily laps it up JUnlike many Indian families who love their curry hot and spicy, we prefer our curries medium spicy or mild. Goan curries especially are meant to be fiery hot and by that standard I would categorise this one under the mild category. Suit yourself regarding the amount of chillies that you would like to have in this curry. Enjoy this lip smacking meal…any time of the year J
For the Prawn Curry you will need…
550 grams prawns (1 kg of prawns yielded me this much amount after cleaning)3 tbsp oil1 tsp mustard seeds1 medium onion, finely chopped1 tsp garlic paste1 tsp ginger, julienned 1 tsp coriander powder¾ tsp roasted cumin powder½ tsp tamarind paste (adjust to taste)1 sprig curry leaves2-3 dry whole red chiliesSalt & red chili powder to taste120 mls coconut milk2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Clean and de-vein the prawns. Wash them and drain the water. Sprinkle a little salt over the prawns and keep them aside for 2 minutes. Wash well again, drain water and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a wok and reduce the heat. Add mustard seeds and cover the wok immediate to avoid the seeds spluttering all around. Once the crackling of seeds stops, remove the cover and add onions. Increase the heat and fry till they turn translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger and stir fry till the garlic becomes aromatic and the turns golden (approx. a minute). Reduce the heat to minimum and mix in the dry spices – coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and salt.
Next, stir in the tamarind paste and the prawns. Stir for a minute or more, depending on the size of prawns, or till the prawns begin to change color.
Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk. Cook the prawns for 2-3 minutes (again it depends on the size of the prawns) in the coconut milk on low heat to prevent the coconut milk from curdling. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with Lemon Rice
For the Lemon Rice you will need…
1 generous glass rice (300 grams approx)1 tbsp oil1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tbsp peanuts 1 tbsp ivory lentils (urad dhuli dal)1 tbsp split skinned Bengal grams (chana dal)Salt to taste½ - ¾ tsp turmeric powder1 sprig curry leaves1 – 1½ tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)2 tbsp water
Cook the rice using the free boiling method.Mix the lemon juice in the water and keep aside.Heat the oil and reduce the heat. Add mustard seeds and once they start crackling add the peanuts. Cook the peanuts till they just begin to change the color and become aromatic. Add in the lentils and grams and cook till they become golden in color. Add curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder and add the lemony water. Now stir in the rice and serve hot with the prawn curry.
Note: The whole process of making the lemon rice takes just a few seconds, so please ensure that all your ingredients are ready to be added to oil. Any delay can lead to one or more ingredient/s getting over cooked or even burnt. I have learnt this the hard way!Note: The amount of cooked rice yield will depend on the quality of rice.
Serves 3
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