Chingudi Malai – Prawns in Coconut Milk

Ingredients

• 500 g prawns, shelled and deveined
• ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp mustard oil (or oil and ghee)
• 1 bay leaf, small cinnamon stick, 3–4 green cardamoms, 3–4 cloves
• 1 onion, ground to a paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste and ½ tsp garlic paste
• 2–3 green chillies, ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 1 cup thick and ½ cup thin coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar, salt, 1 tsp ghee

Method

1. 1Coat the prawns with turmeric and salt and sear in hot oil about a minute a side, just until they curl. Remove.
2. 2Fry the whole spices in the same oil, then the onion paste until golden and the oil separates.
3. 3Add ginger, garlic, chillies and chilli powder for 2 minutes, then the thin coconut milk; simmer 5 minutes.
4. 4Lower the heat, add the thick coconut milk, sugar, salt and the prawns, and simmer gently 4–5 minutes without boiling hard.
5. 5Finish with ghee and serve with rice.