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.