Milky Prawns in Coconut bed

This dish is for foodies without or less restriction on their taste-buds. It’s aromatic and combines few flavours & blend them pretty well turning it into a savory item. There was no particular recipe for this since I prepared it based on my instincts as well as personalized touches.

Cooking time: 30 mins including preparation

Ingredients:

Tiger prawns – 500 gms with shell which needed to be cleaned (Keep the shell on body intact if it has eggs – yellow)

Onions – 3 medium or 2 large into paste

Garlic – 2-3 cloves into paste

Green chilies – 5-7 or as per taste

Coconut desiccated – 1 cup into paste

Milk – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup or little more for gravy

Turmeric, Cumin & Coriander powder – 1 tsp each

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp; 2 Bay leaves; 2 dry red chilies; 3 Cardamoms, 3-4 Cloves, 6-8 Black pepper, 1” Cinnamon stick all coarsely crushed for tempering

Tomato – 1 cut into small pieces (optional)

Oil or ghee – 2 tbsp

Kashmiri red chili powder, Black pepper powder – 1 tsp each

Spicemix or garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste.

Preparation:

Keep the prawns marinated in salt, turmeric & onion, garlic, green chili paste’s juice. Heat oil or ghee in a thick bottomed pan or wok. Throw in the ingredients for tempering one after another. Pour the paste in lowering the flame when aroma fills the room but without burning the ingredients. Saute the paste and add tomato pieces, if using it along with powdered spices. Once the tomatoes are tender just add coconut paste, prawns then milk with gap of a minute or two. Now add some water for required gravy, salt to taste, black pepper & Kashmiri red chili powder. Let it boil in the lowest simmer. Just when it starts leaving a distinct aroma of coconut, prawns & the spices add the spicemix or garam masala. Garnish with slit chilies, desiccated coconut, whipped cream (if no bar on cholesterol), fresh coriander leaves or as per your choice.

Tip: Tomatoes leaves distinct flavor so I opted out while using ghee & so many spices especially I wanted this dish to stand out among other Prawn dishes using coconut or coconut milk. Serve it with hot rice or fresh pulkas, paranthas or even loaves of your choice. Remember not to use too much turmeric powder & boiling with tomatoes may curdle the milk. Unleash your creativity in the kitchen too & win everyone’s heart at ease. Your ideas & experiences are always welcome.

Chicken Manpasand - Chicken in roasted onion-tomato-curry leaves

Before & after putting into microwave.

I prefer to follow my instinct while creating or making anything. And, I believe that culinary is an art in itself. Here goes a succulent dish made with lot of care, patience, knowledge of basic cooking along with the main ingredients. One can enjoy this as side dish during main course or as a starter with little variations. Since my motto for this to keep all the aroma & flavors distinct yet bit subtle thus not overpowering our senses while savouring it any time.

Preparation time: 7-8 hours for marination & refrigeration.
Cooking time: 20-25 mins in microwave & 30 mins in medium flame.

Ingredients - for 4 servings:
Chicken cut in chunks about 600-700 gms
Ginger-Garlic paste 1 tbsp each or little more to smear each piece profoundly
Thick or hung curd about 1 cup
Lemon juice 1 tbsp (omit it if you want the chicken sweeter)
Cumin, Coriander powder 1 tbsp each & turmeric 1 tsp for marination and another for cooking
Green chilies 10 pasted but deseeded & 2 slitted for garnishing
Medium onions 5-6 grated (Use lesser quantity if you want it to be tasted hotter & on dry side)
Black pepper powder about 1 tbsp
Tomato medium 1 cut into lengthwise slices & keep 2 slices for garnishing
Curry leaves 2 whole sprigs & keep aside 1 tbsp new leaves for garnishing
Whole garam masala or 3-4 green cardamoms, 8-10 black peppers, 1" cinnamon stick all crushed, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 dry red chilies & 1 Bay leaf for tempering.
Oil or ghee 2 tbsp for cooking
Salt to taste for marination as well as cooking
Garam masala or spicemix powder 1 tsp for garnishing

Preparation:
Marinate the properly washed & drained chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, lemon juice, cumin & coriander powder and keep aside for an hour. Then smear the hung curd & little salt to the pieces and put for refrigeration for about 7 hrs or overnight.

Cooking:
Put whole spices, bay leaf, dry red chilies then cumin seeds, curry leaves into heated oil or ghee in a pan or thick bottomed wok. Now saute the grated onions minus its juice initially & green chili paste. Once the onion is roasted well into light brown then add tomatoes. Sprinkle salt, black peeper powder & mix evenly utilizing onion juice. On lowest flame let it dry while covering with a lid & stirring often.
If you cook the chicken in the microwave then cover the bowl's surface with cooked onion & place the marinated chicken kept outside for 30 mins then put rest of the onion-tomato-curry leaves on it. In full power cook for 20-25 mins depending on the quantity. Now sprinkle garam masala or spicemix powder, other ingredients for garnishing & again cover it for another 30 mins.

Mix well & ready to serve with rice, breads, Indian breads etc. Be it in slight gravy or dry as starter the chicken will melt in your mouth. Hope you relish it & share your experiences, suggestions.

Tip: Use 1/2-1 cup water if you want more gravy.