This is a popular and traditional Bengali prawn curry. This chingri macher features a distinct mustard taste that works well with the coconut and the sweetness of the prawns.
The Bengalis love mustard. Everything has mustard, is cooked with mustard, even served with mustard. This dish is no exception. The mustard oil, seeds and powder may seem a little excessive, but trust me, the dish works perfectly.
It is a dry dish, in that there is no sauce. Most of the liquid is cooked out before the prawns are added. You want delicate, moist and flavoursome prawns, covered in moist coconut.
To wow your guests, you could serve this in a coconut shell. If you have used fresh coconut – recommended – you will probably have the shell left. Simply arrange the prawns inside the shell and serve. This serving method is common in Kolkata.
Chickpea flour, or besan, is available from good supermarkets and Indian grocers. It is used extensively in Indian cooking, particularly for making batters.
This dish is best served with either plain white rice or roti, with a salad on the side.
the recipe
ingredients
- 1 kg prawns - shelled and deveined
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour - (besan)
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 3 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 red onion - halved and finely sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 green chillies
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 30 g ginger - minced
- 12 curry leaves
- 150 g coconut - grated
to serve
- ½ cup coriander leaves
instructions
- Place the prawns into a glass bowl. Mix the turmeric and Kashmiri chilli then sprinkle over the prawns. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
- In a dry pan, roast the besan until it turns golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Once besan has cooled, blend the mustard powder, besan and a splash of water to a paste in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the mustard oil in a karahi or wok over medium heat until smoking. Remove from the heat when you have a clear, translucent oil. Set aside to cool for two minutes.
- Add the mustard seeds to the oil, return the pan to the stove and cook until the seeds start to sizzle.
- Add the sliced onion and sprinkle with salt. Stir well and fry for eight minutes, or until softened.
- Add the green chillies and fry for five minutes until chillies have softened and the onion is starting to colour.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Cook for two minutes or until the raw garlic aroma has gone.
- Add the reserved mustard paste and grated coconut. Stir well to combine. Fry the mixture for five minutes, then add 100ml water and continue cooking for another three minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced and the sauce is very thick.
- Add the prawns and cook, stirring or tossing until prawns are cooked. They need to become pink and curl; this takes only three minutes or so.
to serve
- Remove from heat, sprinkle with the coriander and serve.
notes
- Choose the largest prawns you can get.
- Your fishmonger may well sell prawns that have already been shelled and de-veined. If that is the case, you only require around 600g of prawns.
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is this my second favourite prawn dish?