Can you guess what’s my favorite non- vegetarian dish is??
No it's not Chicken Tikka or Butter Chicken. Even though chicken dishes are very dear to me, but my favorite non- vegetarian dish is Prawns in Coconut Milk a.k.a. 'CHINGRI MALAI CURRY' in my regional language. No prize for right guesses if there were any ;)
My mummy makes awesome chingri malai curry and I got the recipe and pictures from her while she cooked it for me on my and my husband's special demand . The recipe is surprisingly simple. For a dish so delicious, it is hard to believe that the recipe would be so simple. Here goes the recipe for those who wish to give it a shot :-
There are just two challenges in preparing this dish. First, cleaning the prawns; and second, extracting coconut milk.
Papa got 1 kg medium sized prawns. The fish seller cleans them, however as an extra precaution mummy again ran it through running water. Make sure that the prawn mustache and tail is taken off while cleaning. Precisely, the prawn is covered with a translucent shell, these needs to be removed very gently.
The second step is a mammoth task and usually assigned to papa. Breaking, shredding the inside of coconut and extracting coconut milk is a tedious and skillful act. Coconut milk is available in grocery shops nowadays. But, the idea of using coconut milk with preservatives does not go well with my bong, food-loving father. He believes that the packaged coconut milk just destroys the bona fide taste of Chingri Malai Curry.
Next step is to prepare a smooth paste of mustard seeds (2-3 tspn), green chillies (10-15 depending on how hot and spicy you want it to be) and garlic (2-3 cloves)
Marinate the prawns with a little salt, turmeric, jeera powder and mustard- chilli paste prepared in the above step. Mix 1 tablespoon mustard oil as well. Keep this covered for 1/2 hour.
Once the cleaning and extracting coconut milk, marinating prawns is completed, 90 percent of the job is done. Rest of the recipe is just a cake walk.
Heat wok and put a tablespoon mustard oil in it.
Once the oil is piping hot add nigella seeds.
After the seeds splutter, put in the marinated prawns and mix well.
After 2-3 minutes add the coconut milk. Mix well. Simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes.
Keep stirring in between. Check salt and add if needed
Once the prawns are tender and the dish has a thick consistency, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
......and the super awesome dish is ready to savor.
I never tried making it myself and I am not too eager to take the pain of extracting coconut milk. I would rather ask my mother to cook it for me every time I yearn for it. However, my husband is in awe of this dish and just for him, I think I will try making the dish once on his next birthday.
After all the way to a man's heart is through his tummy; and in case of Rupam, it surely is........ :))
