Prawn Curry – Simple to cook but very tasty to eat

Prawns have a different space on the serving table. If you are a prawn eater you will know about it but if a veggie then can only say ahaa!!!

Just a passing thought, do prawns fall in the category of fish? Thoughts will come and go…some will get answers and some waiting for answers.

Better to carry on with the cooking part.

Let me first say, de-shelling prawns is time taking. But that’s a must. Another important part is, have to remove the black thread which is very essential.  Then wash it and put it on the kitchen platform for cooking.

Let’s start:

Ingredients:

Cleaned and de-shelled prawns (medium size):  10-12 pieces

Potatoes: 3 medium size, peeled and cubed

Onion: 2 chopped

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 12-14 cloves

Tomatoes: 1 (can puree or cut it into small pieces). Have used puree.

Red chilly powder: 1 tsp

Haldi powder: ½ tsp

Salt

Cooking oil

Chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

First make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic

Let’s start cooking:

Next, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok. Once the smoke starts coming add the prawns and fry for 3-4 minutes. Don’t over fry as the prawns will get hard. Take them out and keep it aside.

In the same cooking pot add 2tbsp of oil. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomatoes or the puree and cook on medium heat. Also add haldi powder, red chilly powder and salt and cook till the raw smell is gone.

To this add the cubed potatoes and cook till the masala starts leaving the side.  By now the aroma will be circulating around the kitchen to say, “cooking time of the masala is over, add some water for the potatoes to soften”.  

In the kitchen sometimes there’s a feeling that even the pots and pans, the vegetables, the spices may seem to be talking when the cook is so much engrossed in the cooking process. Maybe some may think this thought to be maddish, but they are the family in the kitchen space.

Let’s move on. After adding enough water for the cooking of the potatoes, cover the cooking pot. Reduce the flame and let it cook.

Keep a watch from time to time. Before the potatoes become very soft, add the fried prawns and cook for a few minutes.

Now the aroma of the prawn curry will be doing rounds in the house saying, “Curry is ready to be served”.

Before serving the stove has to be switched off and the curry served on the table in a serving bowl.

Let it be a curry with some gravy.

Rice is looking to be the prawn curry’s companion for the day. Secretly happy to have such a beautiful, oh no, not beautiful, but a very tasty friend.

Prawn curry is ready and Oops! The garnish is there. Some chopped fresh dhania gives the dish a better look.

The story of the prawn curry is not for the ramp walking of beautiful models but of course it sits majestically on the table saying, “Come eat me and show the reactions on your face”.

Thus ends the saga of the Prawn Curry.

© Gouri Guha 2021