Malvani Prawn Curry | Prawns cooked in Coconut sauce

Malvani cuisine is a blend of Maharashtrian cuisine and Goan Cuisine.'Malwan' is a small town in Sindhudurg district on the west coast of Maharsahtra.The Malvani prawn curry is famous for its flavors and is made in a rich coconut gravy.So,am sure my south indian friends would definitely nod a big 'yes' to this recipe and all others too if you love the coconut flavor.Its similar to chemmeen(prawns) theeyal ,a recipe from Kerala that I had posted sometime back.We enjoyed this dish with rotis,lip smacking flavors but you can always serve with steamed rice as well.Hope you guys will give this a try !!!

PS: I made this curry for dinner and so lighting was poor,will update better pics as I make it again :)

Preparation time ~ 20 minutes

Cooking time ~ 15-20 minutes

Serves ~ 4-5 

Author ~ Julie
Ingredients
prawns/ chemmeen  medium-sized 20-25(1.15lb)
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
kashmiri chilly powder 1/2 tsp
salt 

to dry roast
red onion, 1 medium-sized finely chopped 
garlic 1 clove 
dry spices(1.5 tsp coriander seeds, dry red chillies 4-5,cloves 2,cardamom 2,cinnamon 1" stick, fennel seeds 1 tsp)
coconut grated 1/2 cup
oil 1tsp

to make gravy
red onion, 1 small finely chopped
minced garlic, 1 clove
coriander leaves 2tbsp
tamarind pulp 2-3 tsp /tamarind 1 lemon size
coconut milk 2-3 tbsp
salt to taste
oil 2-3 tsp

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Wash and clean, de vein the prawns.Rub it with salt and wash under running water for 5-6 minutes.Pat dry the prawns and marinate with turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt.Leave aside for 15-30 mins.
• Heat the oil listed under dry roast in a pan.Add the dry spices listed and keep sautéing till a nice aroma comes out.Drain in a plate and add onions.Sauté till it's soft and translucent and lightly browned.Add in the grated coconut and keep sautéing for another 5 minutes on medium high flame till the coconut and onion is browned.Turn off flame and wait to cool.Add the dry roasted spices to a blender once cooled and grind coarsely.Add the onion, coconut mixture in it and add 1/2 cup warm water, grind to a smooth consistency. (In the Video recipe, I have just warmed the coconut and not roasted, so the gravy colour is on the lighter side. In this recipe, you can roast or just warm up the coconut, both ways works fine).
• Heat another pan and add oil, listed under gravy.Add in the minced garlic, sauté for a minute.Add onions and sauté the onions till it turns translucent.Add the marinated prawns with marinade and sauté for about a minute.
• Add a cup of water, cover and cook for 5-7 mins until half cooked.Add the ground paste on low to medium flame.Let it cook covered, simmer for another 3 minutes.
• Add the tamarind pulp, adjust salt and cook covered on low flame for 3 mins.Add water if the consistency turns too thick (adding coconut milk further thickens the gravy).
• Add the coconut milk on lowest flame and switch off.Garnish coriander leaves and serve warm with rotis/ rice !!

NOTES
* You can use the spices without roasting and the coconut without roasting.Grind it fresh, both ways this curry is made.
*You can use lkokum/gamboge/kudampuli instead of tamarind, but tamarind tastes better.
* Adding coconut milk at the end is optional, it just reduces the spice levels and gives a predominant coconut flavour.
* If you wish to add spices more, then add 6-7 peppercorns along with dry spices and grind.I haven't used pepper corns, as this curry was moderately spicy.
* Some people even add 1tsp raw rice, but I have omitted that as I didn't understand the reason to use.
* Some recipes marinate the prawns in the ground masala too.

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