Prawn Masala Fry and Prawn Rice ...... cooking a meal under thirty minutes

Yesterday I made a post on my instagram feed on one of my current knitting projects, as I was getting a lot of messages to share my works in progress. 
And I wrote about how this year has been for all of us. 
And could not help contemplating on it the whole day. 

I realised what I had written was just the tip of the iceberg. Given insta's limited word allowance per post, I am not always satisfied with writing there. Which is why I have almost stopped writing a good post. The hurried feel does not suit me. 

I like to write in a way that the reader gets the essence and the feel of not only the photo but also the setting , the prelude as well as the interlude and conclusion. 

So while I did mention how we all found out some hobby to hold on to for comfort in this difficult year, I felt a there is a lot more to it than what meets the eye. 
Like how we learnt to manage our days and to divide time among work and family and chores in a more balanced way.

How we learnt the real meaning of division of labour. 

And how to make the division of chores interesting .... focussing not only on the jobs getting done but also on  how to give the other person a break too. 

And the most important thing we learnt was how to manage the kitchen in the shortest possible time, how to cook up a nutritious meal for the family without getting exhausted and above all, how to come up with quick cooking ideas with the most basics of ingredients. 
And at the same time ensure that it is tasty to please every palate sitting at the dining table. 

No mean feat I must say. 

For me, it has been a long, difficult year when it comes to eating restaurant kind of food. 

Not that we used to eat out regularly. But I had a surgery last year towards the fag end of August and was on monitored food for almost 6 months. And just as we started to eat out a little .... we must have eaten out for exactly three times .... lockdown happened. 

And now it has been 8 months that I have been craving for some good Chinese food. Or a good Vada Pao. And Phuchka too. 

I have made every one of these at home too. And even more like baking breads, pavs, focaccia , cakes .... and so on. But it requires big work. Lots of effort. And at the end I feel so exhausted that actually enjoying the food becomes an effort too. 

So I have turned to cooking some spicy and masaledar food for myself recently. 

Any change to the tastebuds is welcome now. 

Recently, my fishmonger got me some very fresh and good sized prawns. 

They were so fresh that I wanted to keep the sweet taste with just a smattering of spices. 

And so made this beautiful fry. The coating was of spices and the inside held the juicy, sweet meat that was so good when bitten into. 

For the Masala Prwan Fry : 
 
Need : 

Prawns - 6 to 8 pieces, cleaned and deveined 

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp 
Jeera powder - 1 tsp 

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp 

Rice flour - 2 tbsp 

Salt - to taste 
Oil - to stir fry 

How to : 

Marinate the prawns with the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. 

Keep aside for 15 minutes. 

Heat oil. 

Let in the prawns one by one and fry till done. 

Serve immediately. 

For  the Prawn Rice : 

Need : 

Leftover Rice 
Whole garam masalas 
Chopped green chillies 
Salt to taste 

How to : 

In the same oil that the prawns have been fried, add the garam masalas
and the green chillies. 

Let in the rice and toss well. 

Add salt and adjust the rest of the seasonings. 

Remove and serve hot. 

Enjoy!! 


Here is my link to the post on Instagram where the write up is even better. 
I am going crazy trying to keep track and coordinate my writings at both places. 
Hope to sort out the time management soon so that I can write the same post and thoughts in both places as well as share the links too. 

Pui Chingri / Prawns cooked with the Malabar Spinach

The sun is blazing hot these days. The birds are already draining the water bath by the time our breakfast is over.
I have to fill it at least thrice a day these days.
It breaks my heart to see the poor birds flying around, looking for water.
Many try to drink from the dirty puddles on the roads but those too are not easily seen these days, given the dry weather and the heat.
I feel a kind of relief every time I see a bird drinking clean water from the bath on my balcony.
It is a sturdy and flat terracotta vessel and just deep enough for the bigger birds like the crows to dip their beaks in.

I keep the water level low in the mornings so that the little birds like the bulbuls, sparrows and the sun birds find it easy to bathe. They come very early in the mornings.
The crows, swallows, pigeons and the parrots come later.
I try to get a peek now and then .... I love to see them splashing around in the water.
And love the look of contentment on their faces.

There is a beautiful photograph of a freshly bathed swallow who sat in the sun for a while .... and dozed, that I had clicked once.
It is on the blog too but I do not remember in which post it is in ... hence cannot give the link just now.

Given that my balcony faces west, it becomes very difficult to care for the plants too.
I get busy with setting up contraptions to cover them from the direct sun.
Watering them twice a day is a must.
I do not have a green thumb at all .... most of my plants die sooner or later. Much of which I can attribute to our frequent trips too.
No matter what precautions I take .... from half filling the bath tub and placing the pots in it to lining every little indoor pot with damp newspapers to keeping them under very light running water .... I have done it all.
Right now my only surviving plants are the few palms that I had carried back all the way from Bangalore, a curry leaf plant, which I keep an eye on like a mother hen and my very precious Pui plant .... which I had planted from the stems of the big bunch that I had got from Bangalore last year.

That Pui plant has been doing well, touch wood, so far. I have already cooked a few times with its leaves and stems. I just hope it survives this harsh summer that nature is promising us.

This time, when I made this Pui Chingri from its leaves, I decided to make a post.

I do not use too much of spices in this chorchori.
Rather, I let the flavour and the sweetness of the prawns to mingle with the freshness of the Pui leaves.
And they speak for themselves.
If you are making this in winter, do add vegetables of your choice.
I did not add any ... just threw in some sweet potatoes for that extra sweetness and some baby Brinjals / Eggplants for some moistness.



Need :


Fresh water prawns - 250 gms , marinated with salt + turmeric powder
Sweet potatoes - 1 medium, diced
Brinjals / Aubergine - diced
Pui leaves and stems - washed and cut roughly
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Paanch phoron / Bengali five spice mix - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp 
Whole dry red chillies - 2, broken
Bay leaf - 1
Mustard oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste ( this will a little sweetish dish )

How to :


Heat the oil in a heavy kadahi / wok / open pan.

Add the prawns and fry lightly and remove.

In the same oil add the paanch phoron and the dry red chillies.

Add the potatoes and cook on low heat, covered,  till done.

Remove cover and add the grated ginger, stir a little and add the pui and the brinjals.

Give a stir and add the prawns too.

Now add turmeric powder + red chilli powder + salt + sugar.

Mix well till everything come together.

Cover and cook on low heat till the leaves are well cooked.

Remove cover and stir well.

Cook without cover, mixing now and then till all water dries up.

Serve hot with dal and rice.
Enjoy!!


And oh! .... This summer, if you have an empty space anywhere in your house ... even a window sill will work ... please do keep out some clean water for our feathered friends.
Be kind.

God bless !!

Lahsooni Jeera Prawns / Prawns cooked with garlic and cumin paste .... a light yet delightful dish

When the new year started, I had really surprised myself at the number of posts I did back to back.
Little did I know that in the coming few days I would get bitten by the travel bug .... again.
So before I could create a record of sorts by posting a good number of recipes in one month straight, I had hit the road.
But not before I kept up with tradition and made some pithes for Sankranti.
On Sankaranti day we set off on our way to Bangalore .... by road.
It was a long time wish for both of us and this time I knew I could do that journey. Passing through new lands and landscapes, calculating time and responsible travel planning, not to mention the new kinds of food one gets to try out at new places .... gives  a different kind of high.

Mid way, we stopped at Hampi for a night and feasted our eyes on the gorgeous ruins of what was once a thriving empire.
Hampi has been on my wish list for years and this was the only way I could see it ... reaching it by road. It was an experience of a lifetime!
Will do a post on that soon. I say soon, with all good intentions, but my New York travel posts are not done with, yet. But I will try to.

After returning we had only one night at hand before setting off for our home in Rajasthan to plan a surprise party and be with the family for a milestone birthday.
I had wanted to do at least one more post before January is over ... hence this quick recipe.

 The best thing about having foodie friends and being on social media is that when you ask for a recipe, you get enough replies to last a lifetime.
My readers and followers on my facebook page have often bailed me out with some awesome recipes everytime I turn to them. Some I get to post, most of them not.
But I am eternally grateful to them for introducing me to such wonderful food from their world.

Once, long back, I had bought some fresh water prawns and had turned to my blogger friends for a recipe. Since, after cooking a full vegetarian meal, I get very little time on my hands to rustle something up for myself, I picked the easiest one that belonged to Anjali.  
It is ridiculously simple. And absolutely, stunningly tasty.
And if you have prawns or chicken or eggs in your stock, then you have a gem in your hands.
Or plate.

I have cooked this over and over again, ever since.
Always finger licking good.
You can call this Jeere Rosun diye Chingri Mach er jhol in Bengali ... in case you need a name. :-)

Need :

Fresh water prawns - 250 gms, shelled and deveined (you can use frozen ones too )
Garlic - 12 fat cloves
Jeera or Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Whole dry red chillies - 1 tbsp (take out the seeds )
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp , I use mustard oil
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Grind the garlic + jeera + red chillies into a paste.

Marinate the prawns with some turmeric + salt + the above paste.

Heat oil in a kadahi or wok.

Add a little sugar.
When it starts to turn red, add the prawns and cook till the masala is fried well.

Done! 

Great with plain white rice.
Just that gravy, when mixed with the rice, can take you to food heaven in just one mouthful.

Enjoy!!
And don't forget to leave a line here if you have tried this and loved it. I know you will.

Now let me get back to what I have been doing all these days .... gorging on the fabulous Rajasthani kachoris and namkeens and going on trips and family picnics .... etc. etc.
Basically having a helluva a good time. :-)

See you all again, soon!!

Leaving you with a glimpse of the gorgeous Hampi.

Chingri macher Malaikari / Prawns cooked in coconut milk

 

The year went by at the blink of an eye. Or so it seems.
It has been a quiet year for me. And good too ... in some ways.
I have been able to get back into normal routine after the tremendous loss of the earlier year.
And I have learnt that whatever time we have, we need to make full use of it.
We need to stay happy, do what we want to, follow our heart and accept the fact that life can be a bitch at times.
And can love you at others too.

I do not have this habit of making resolutions.
I have never tried to, ever since I was a young girl.
All that I have done is stay focussed and do what I have to do.
I do not bind myself inside a grid of promises ... even to myself.
All I do is to follow life and deal with whatever it gives me to deal with.

I may have had to make compromises .... and I still have to. But then, there are times when you have to do what you have to do.
There are times when you will not like what you have to do. And it will be very easy to just take another road that will take you away from it.
But again, there is this thing called the need of the hour.
And you know you must do it, in spite of not wanting to do it.
That is called the sense of duty.
That is called maturity ... or the right way to take on life.

So when I have to give up something I like to do, to be able to do something that I don't like to, I tell myself that there will be another day, when I will have all the time to myself.
And I go ahead and do what is the right thing to do. Even if I don't like it.
And believe in my heart that everything is for a good.

Like the last few days have gone not exactly like I wanted to.
The one thing that I find  very difficult to accept is being taken for granted.
And ungratefulness.
Those are things I have had to deal with, from people who go by the name of 'friends'.
So maybe, henceforth, I will do something different ... just so that I do not have to go through this hurt in my heart again.
Ever.

This year, I had my trip to the US of A ... which was a wonderful thing to happen.
I saw nature's most wonderous creation ... the gorgeous Niagara falls ... and was overwhelmed.
And was thankful to fate for making me so happy in a long time.

I do not know what the new year will bring for me.
And neither do I want to.
All I pray for is health and a little happiness.
And a little more understanding and accepting in my life. That I will have the strength not to be affected by negativity ... like I always have.
I can do with a little more emotional security. And some me time.
That's all.
Books, music, knitting, travelling ... I can fit in myself.

A few days back, I had bought some very good prawns as we were having guests over.
But they stayed inside the freezer as the guests preferred to eat out most of the time.
So, yesterday, I took them out, wondering what to cook.
I knew I had do at least one more post before the year ended and wanted it to be a good recipe.
Going through my drafts, I found the same old daily food that my blog is famous for.
So decided to make something really good and celebratory.
Peeked into the fridge and saw a can of coconut milk and voila! I knew what it would be.
Quickly made a coconut and peas pulao for B and then set about cooking this lovely, creamy malaikari ... more for you and the blog than for myself.

My Ma makes a malaikari that used to be very, very subtle in flavours ... the coconut milk played a dominant part. I went through a few recipes on the net and saw they were slightly more richer and wanted to try that way. After tasting this, I can say I love both versions now.
Will post Ma's recipe later someday.

This recipe uses onion paste as well as ginger and garlic paste. I could not make a paste so grated the onion ... you can see the tiny bits in the gravy. Did not make much difference to the flavours.
I use ginger + garlic paste and was worried but the coconut milk immediately resolved all doubts ... imparting that beautiful sweetness and rich, smooth creaminess to the gravy.

So here is the recipe.
Do let me know if you give it a try this new year.

 Need :

Fresh water prawns - 250 gms
Onion paste - 2 tbsp ( I used grated onions but do you the paste )
Ginger + garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Whole dry chillies - 2, broken
Whole garam masala - cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom - 2 each, crushed
Bay leaf - 1
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp (I use mustard oil )
Coconut milk - 1 cupful ( I used the thick canned one )
Sugar - to taste
Salt - to taste
Water - half cup

How to :

Clean, devein and marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt.

 Heat mustard oil in a kadahi or wok.
Lightly fry the prawns and remove and keep aside.
Do not overcook them.

 

In the same oil, add the bay leaf, dry red chillies and the crushed garam masalas.
Then add the onion paste and a little sugar.
Fry well till the rawness goes away.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till oil starts to separate from the sides.
 Now add the fried prawns and mix everything together.

 Raise heat, add a little water and bring to a simmer.
Check for salt and adjust according to taste.

Then lower heat and add the coconut milk.
Adjust seasoning again ... the gravy will be a little on the sweeter side,
Cover and simmer for five minutes.

 Remove cover and check for gravy consistency. 
Serve hot.

This malaikari goes very well with plain rice or the Bengali mishti polau.

Enjoy!!

Aam kasundi diye Chingri or Prawns cooked in raw mango and mustard paste

 

I am suddenly very tired.
And drained.
For so long, I have been rushing so hard that I finally had a breakdown last week.
And not surprising too. The way I have been pushing myself ... living in denial; believing that every new morrow is going to bring me peace. That if I bury myself with numerous and more things to do, I will get far, far away from what I am running away from.

I have been running away from memories ... painful memories rather.  From the live video that plays in front of my eyes and in my mind every single waking moment. It drives me insane. 
Does this happen to everyone who goes through loss? I do not know.
All I know is what I have been doing to help myself definitely is not working.
Rather, it has overwhelmed me to the extent that I cannot keep up the pretense any longer.

It is coming to be a complete year since I was back home. And yet, it seems like it was just yesterday.
I tried to blog like a possessed person, write all the happy things I could see around or think of.
I went out to lunches and dinners and movies, bought and read books, drowned myself in music.
Immersed myself with numerous activities ... people praised me for being able to do so many things together. But what do the loving souls know?
They could not see the desperate me inside ... clutching on to whatever I could get my hands on ... to be able to escape from reality.

But nothing worked.
And all those memories and painful times swelled up high and high and built into a giant storm that swept me and my resolves and will power far away into the horizon just as it would a few grains of dust or some  dry leaves.

I had burned myself out.
And then came the nightmares.
I had stopped crying and avoided going out into the balcony in the evenings ... that time when I missed Bapi the most. That built up into suppressed trauma and returned to haunt me.
After not getting to sleep for a whole week straight, we consulted our doc.
And as usual, the only thing they know is to be an ostrich.
But I am not going to give up and let myself go in the hands of anti depressants and sleeping pills.

And have promised myself that I will get up again soon. Strong and stout.
Maybe I will be able to laugh too ... I live in hope.

Right now, I am learning to rest.
Have dug out all the books that I had got from the Boi mela at Kolkata.
My bedside table holds two by Samaresh Majumdar, that are in line and sequel to the first one that I have started reading.
Rabindra sangeet is my constant companion, especially in the kitchen, these days ... much to B's discomfort.
Since the rains have started, they are playing a part too. Pune's light, soothing rain is more like a balm on a parched soul. Not unruly, wild and noisy .... rather a light, soundless, steady drizzle with that cold wet breeze that stops you in your tracks as soon as you step out or open a window.
Take a deep breath and you can feel the insides of your heart and mind wash afresh with that sharp, clean and wet air.

I have been cooking too ... but not too much though.
The days and nights are perfect for hot, nutritious soups. And I am making a lot of them.
Very filling; very quick to make; very easily warming you up and your insides with that comforting hug of spices.
I do not feel like clicking any photographs and I am not pushing myself much.
Will take one day and one evening at a time.
I do not feel like communicating much these days ... so no friends or guests allowed. The family will be visiting soon ... that I am looking forward to.

Right now, I have this beautiful Prawn curry that I had made a few weeks ago.
Fuss free, no garam masala, redolent with the flavour of prawns and coconut milk. 
Fresh prawns, my aam kasundi and some coconut milk thrown in together to a boil and voila!, you have a beautiful, light almost malaikari like jhol in your hands.
 Some plain boiled rice to go with it and you will need nothing more on the side.

Need :

Prawns - 6 pieces, medium sized, cleaned and deveined
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Aam kasundi - 2 tbsp
If you do not have aam kasundi, just make a paste of mustard seeds + green chillies + salt + a little lemon juice
Thick coconut milk - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - to make gravy
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp ( I used mustard oil )

How to :

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed kadahi / wok.
Marinate the prawns with a little turmeric powder + salt.
Fry them lightly and remove.

In the same oil add the aam kasundi and a little water.
Add turmeric powder and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and add the coconut milk.
Add salt and water, if required.

Let in the fried prawns and cover and cook for 5 minutes.

 Serve hot with steaming hot boiled rice.

Enjoy!!

Chingri Begun / Shrimps with Brinjals

 

I have a sudden feeling of not doing enough these days. The whole day rushes by and when evening sets in, I am left wondering as to what did I actually do?
Which one work was really, really good enough?
Well, I do not know the reason behind this self doubt. Maybe a case of fingers in too many pies, I guess.
Yes, from morning to afternoon, all I do is chores.
And cook.
And have taken up to painting all the covers of the glass bottles in the kitchen to a bright, fluroscent green ( my current obsession ) and yellow and some cherry red.

And have two sets of knitting going on simultaneously .... one bright orange long muffler and another wine coloured poncho.
Those of you who know me know my love for knitting too. When my orthopedic had sadly nodded his head in a no to my simple question of "Can I at least knit?" three years back, I was devastated.
No cooking .... I couldn't take either.
No reading .... that had broken me to pieces too.

But no knitting?! How will I live?!
So , on the day I finally stepped into the kitchen again, I had brought out a pair of knitting needles too.
And a small ball of wool.
And kept them right in front of me on the mantle piece .... so that my eyes would not miss them.
They were the reason I did not give up.
They were the reason that pushed me to exercise; to continue my physiotherapy.
And mend.

And as soon as I could, I started to knit one line every day.
Just one line.
And that started to infuse that positive energy in me.
And I knew I will knit again.

Yes, today I am knitting again!
I am slow, but I am going steady. And watch with joy as my fingers move along with the needles and my beloved yarn of wool passes through my fingers to turn into something new.
There are still hitches ... my shoulders still give up at times. But I go on.
When I lay it down to take some rest, I look at it and say in mind that I will come back and pick you up soon.

Nothing gives me more happiness than knitting. And I hope I never have to give it up again.
Maybe not being able to knit fast enough is eating me ... and hence that sense of slight despair.
Maybe.

Ok, I know I am digressing.

I have also been spending way too much of time in the kitchen too.
Have started cooking on a regular basis and loving it.
The last time I was at my fishwala's, I had brought big lot of different fishes. This I usually do.
And they last me through a fortnight or more easily.
And through unexpected guests.
And morbid days.

So along with a bunch of Parshe, big sized rohu pieces ( the ones with a thick skin and a good layer of fat ... I love them ), Tyangra and some medium sized prawns, I got these little shrimps too.
I was a little hesistant but the guy said they do not need cleaning.
That was enough to tempt me.
I already had visions of chomping them just crisply fried and gave in.
Bought around 150 gms of them.

Greed, as they say, is the reason behind every downfall.
I had the good sense to post a photograph of these tiny things on FB and asked what can I do with them.
And friends came up with wonderful ideas and recipes.
But first ... "you need to clean them".
Sigh.

So, the same night, after dinner, I sat down to deal with these tiny fellows who did not look  as innocent or tempting to me anymore, by then.
I froze them a little  while I had dinner. That helped hugely while dealing with them.
I cut off the whiskers up to the eyes. And shelled the slightly big sized ones. The smaller ones I left as they were.

Among the recipes, I zeroed in on Soma's simple one with very little ingredients.
The main reason being there were no vegetables at home other than a big sized brinjal and some potatoes.
Also, there was no other prep work needed.
Just chop, fry, add water and it is done. Just the kind of cooking I love.

Soma too cooked the same thing simultaneously in her kitchen in the far away US of A.
And sent me a photo on chat, just minutes after discussing the recipe.
That is the joy of having friends who love food and are equally happy to cook and share recipes.
Makes your food all the more loved.
And makes a meal worthwhile.
You can find her post here.

I followed her simple recipe and the result was this beautiful tel jhol.

I do not have good photographs that do enough justice to it.
To know, you need to make it just once.

Need :

Very small sized shrimps - 150 gms, cleaned and washed well.
Brinjal - 1 medium sized, chopped into cubes
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - 1 tsp
Fresh green chillies - 3
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water

How to :

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy kadahi / wok.
Apply 1 tsp of turmeric, red chilli powder and salt to the cleaned shrimps.
Fry them till they lose all moisture and turn all crunchy and crispy.
Keep aside.
Ok ... you can chomp on a few. I did. :-)

Add the rest of the oil to the kadahi.
Add the kalo jeere + green chillies.

Now add the chopped brinjal pieces and fry covered till done.

In a small bowl, mix turmeric powder + red chilli powder + salt with some water.
Add that to the fried brinjal pieces.

Cover and boil for a while.
Then add the shrimps.
Cover and cook for around 5 to 10 minutes or till the gravy dries up.
Soma suggests to keep the gravy dryish, almost the consistency of a sauce.

Remove cover, sprinkle 1 more tbsp of fresh mustard oil.
Add some chopped coriander leaves and you are done!

Goes best with plain, steamed rice.
The flavour of the fresh mustard oil brings out the best in this tel jhol, so do not skimp on it.

Enjoy!!

Chingri Macher Jhol / A light Prawn curry

It is frantic time in the house again.
Winter has been dilly dallying for a while  now. No matter how much we tried to psyche ourselves into believing that since it is December it is cold.
But still needed an open window in the nights. And a fan on, in some.
But after the sudden storm and rain that took us by surprise and continued to do so for two whole days, the clouds have finally parted and the winter chill has finally set in.

It is no longer foggy in the evenings or the mornings.
Rather, it is clean and bright and crisp. With a sharp cold in the air.
Standing in my balcony with a hot tea cup in my hands, sipping into the hot ginger flavoured brew has a different meaning altogether now.
Very different from the rainy days, when I love to stand in my balcony the same way.

Now I can see the trees for as far as eyes can  and make out every single shade of green that the jungle shows in the beautifully sparkling sunlight.
And now, for the next few weeks at least, I will enjoy my breakfasts here too.
And soak up some late afternoon sun.

With holiday season on, I will be having guests over. And that means some mad days too.
I love it when friends from outside the city come to stay.
A different routine sets in.
And the house looks different too. Especially if they have small children with them.
Come January and the family will be over too.

So all I can see right now is more of outdoor plans, grocery and gifts shopping.
And much less of blog posts.

Hurriedly putting together this post with a recipe that I have been longing to share.
Made this a few weeks ago and fell in love with prawns all over again.

While the gravy does have garlic and ginger, it is still a light, soupy kind of jhol.
And the flavour of the prawns gives this a totally different flavour from what it would have had if made with only vegetables or the Rohu fish.

 Need :


Medium sized fresh water prawns - 8 pieces
Green cardamom / Choti elaichi - 2, broken
Cinnamon / Dalchini - 1 small piece
Whole dry red chillies - 2, broken
Onion paste - 3 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Grated tomato - 4 tbsp 
Potato - 1 medium, cut lengthwise
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Cooking oil - I use Mustard oil
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste 


How to :

Marinate the cleaned prawns with salt and turmeric powder.
Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil and lightly fry them.
Do not overcook ... just remove them as soon as they change colour and curl up.

Add 1 tbsp more of the oil and to it add the elaichi, dalchini, whole red chillies.

Add the onion paste and fry a little.
Now add the garlic paste + the ginger paste + sugar + haldi powder + red chilli powder.
Fry well till dryish and oil starts to leave the sides.
Add the tomato and the dhania powder.
Fry well.

Now raise heat and add 2 cups ( or as desired ) of water.
Add salt.
Cover and bring to a boil.

Remove cover and add the potatoes.
( You can fry the potatoes earlier and add them now too, I do not. )

Cover and cook on medium heat till the potatoes are well cooked. 

Remove cover, add the prawns and check for salt.

Cover and cook for 10 more minutes or till the gravy reaches desired consistency.

Remove cover and add the garam masala powder, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot.

I had once heard Chef Gautam Maharshi  on a tv show mention that if ever you garnish a dish, do it with edible things.
And I feel nothing comes close to a great garnish than the humble coriander leaf.
Not only does it lend a flavour to the dish but also adds an appealing look to the plate.

What do you think?
Is the little sprig of a fresh coriander leaf in the photographs an eyesore? Unnecessary?
Or is the fresh green in harmony with the dish and  the photograph? 

Don't you feel like picking this baby up? 

This goes great with steamed rice.

Enjoy!!

Wishing you all Happy holidays.
I will try to be around with another post, hopefully, before the next week ends. But might disappear for a while after that.

C'ya all.

Shorshe Narkel Chingri / Prawns cooked in mustard and coconut paste

Winter is on in full swing ... if I can say that. How is winter swinging I can't say. But yes, winter is here.
Not in the elusive way that it has been the last few years but in a proper wintery way.
Like it is supposed to be cold, real cold.
There should be a clear, crisp breeze.
The sky clear ... so clear that you can see the stars at night ...especially the Evening star ... huge and shining way too brightly.
The sun should be bright and shining and inviting.
You are tempted to stand in it ... soaking up the warmth on your shoulders and back.
And in a little while you feel so hot you need to step back into the shade.
And in a while you are tempted to step back into it again.
Yes, this winter everything is in place.

Mornings are foggy.
And cold.
Morning walkers are bundled in sweaters, jackets and caps.
Evenings are foggy too. And hold the sweet smell of wood smoke.
Maybe someone is burning dry leaves and twigs somewhere. I can see a thin billow of smoke afar, crossing the tree tops and meandering up and away.
Leaving behind that smell that reminds one of evenings in rural India, where every house lights it's chulha to  cook dinner and the air is filled with light smoke.
And you are tempted to spend your evenings leisurely ... bundled up in a comforter, lounging in front of the telly ... with spicy adrak wali chai and some deep fried munchies.

Right now I'm loving the glorious sun on my home ... windows, balcony ... even in the kitchen.
Am tempted to make full use of it ... my injured shoulder and arm notwithstanding.
Hence, ignoring  doc's warning against strain, I am making small batches of pickles and boris.
Of course other than sunning every piece of blanket, clothing,woolen, etc. that has soaked up the dampness of the last year.
Yes, am happy to be home. :-)

Here's a glimpse before I make a post on it ... in case I'm  banned from typing and posting ... again.

Last year I had my fill of fresh fish ... caught off the lakes right in front of me. Remember  I  had made the  Kaatla Shorshe. Well, I had some masala left, so used it to make prawns.
Not in the same way ... just the same masala.

I eat prawns with regularity. But realise that I hardly have any posts on my prawn recipes.
One of the reasons must be the lack of time.
Prawn is something I can munch on while frying them ... and happily finish a batch just like that.
And most times I just put in this and that together and cook up something ... needless to say, tasty.
 But by the time I finish cooking the whole lunch/dinner and finish with the prawns, it is mealtime.
And I do not have the patience to arrange+click for a post.

This particular recipe was, as usual, done in a hurry too.
But there was good sunlight ... something rare for me for the whole of last year ... so clicked some snaps.
Not as good as I would want them to be.
But decent enough to make a post.
So here is my Shorshe Chingri ... not bhaape (steamed ) though.

Need :

Fresh water prawns
Mustard paste - I used white and black mustard seeds
Coconut paste - I grind freshly grated coconut
Turmeric powder
Kalonji / Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - a pinch
 Mustard oil
Red chilli powder
Salt
A pinch of sugar ( optional )

How to :

Clean the prawns and marinate them with salt and turmeric for 15 minutes.
Heat mustard oil in a kadahi / wok.
Fry the prawns, remove and keep aside.
At this point you will need to restrain yourself ... I cannot resist the hot, fried prawns and start munching on them. Go ahead , indulge, but only a piece or two.

In the same kadahi and oil, add the kalo jeere / nigella seeds.
Add the mustard and coconut paste.
Add a little red chilli powder.
Fry well till oil starts to leave the sides.
You can add some beaten curd at this point too ... I haven't.
Increase heat and add water.
Bring to a boil, add salt and sugar.
Add the prawns and cook till the gravy reaches desired consistency ... some like it dryish and others like some gravy ... so decide accordingly.
 Remove from heat.

Serve hot with plain steamed rice.
Enjoy!!



A few other Prawn recipes on Kichu Khonn

Prawns with burnt Garlic Noodles

Tomato Prawns 

 Chingri Malai Rice 

Tomato Chingri / Tomato Prawns

( Vegetarians and Vegans can use any vegetable like mushrooms, cauliflower, even potatoes or paneer / tofu for this dish ).

After wading through gallons and gallons of vegetable broths, soups, purees and more broths, soups, purees ( I know, I know, they are healthy stuff ... but I have my health very much at place and I was not the one ill ... ) , I finally started to cook some decent meal for myself. Got some fish and eggs and .... well .... started to live again. :-)

The only thing that spares me from any guilt of having proper food right now ( read non veg food ) is that the other half is a pure vegetarian.

Anyways ... those of you who know me by now must know how I keep turning out something that I call a dish ... and then when at a loss for a name .... just name the main ingredients in it. Has always worked for me. ;-)

Whenever I get prawns and am not having guests, like I have said before, I eat them up as I am frying them .... nothing beats some garma garam fried prawns straight from the pan. ;-)

The few that get to save themselves from my chomping mouth get frozen to be stored .... and eventually are the ones that need some accessory to make them edible again. There are so many good prawn recipes ... but I do not like to go through any detailed process just to cook for myself.

So I chop up something this and something that .... and well .... something does come up. Besides, when it is the prawn that does the flavour giving part, nothing much is needed. :-)

Need : Prawns ( cleaned & marinated with salt and turmeric ), chopped tomatoes ( the more, the better), chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped green chillies,
red chilli powder [ optional] ,
salt and sugar to taste, cooking oil ( I used mustard oil ).

How to : Heat oil in a wok / kadhai. Fry the prawns lightly and remove and keep aside.

In the same oil ( if needed, add a little more ), add the chopped onions, garlic and green chillies and fry well till soft.

Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt and sugar and keep frying till they turn mushy.

Now add the prawns and a pinch of red chilli powder . Keep tossing till everything gets mixed well.



Serve hot with rice / parathas/ spaghetti.

Am sending this to Indrani's Event on Fish.

C'ya all friends. I'll be back with more recipes later.

Also, many of you have passed on awards and tags to me recently. Thanks to each one of you for thinking of me. :-)

And thanks to everyone who has stood by us with your kind words. Luv ya all! :-)

Chingri Malai Rice / Prawn & Rice cooked in Coconut Milk

( Vegetarians can substitute the prawns with paneer .... tastes equally good. Add some sliced onions for more flavour as paneer has no flavour of its own ... unlike the prawns. )

It is difficult to name a dish that you conjure up on your own. Which is why I have just put in the names of the main ingredients together ... if it still looks like a proper name ... well ... am lucky.

Chingri / Prawn Malakari is a pretty famous Bengali dish. Cooked in rich coconut milk, this dish is flavourful and delicate at the same time.

But this time I was cooking prawns only for myself. Had some coconut milk ( I use packet milk ... and find it pretty thick and good enough) ... so thought of making Prawn Malakari. But that would mean cooking rice seperately. Ah ... too much work for one soul.

So thought of combining the two ... and have a one pot meal .... my fav. No hassles. :-)

Even though I do not like sweets, I do like a little sweetness in almost every dish ... maybe it is that Bengali thing in me ... and sometimes do crave the sweetness of coconut milk in dishes ... which makes me cook Coconut Rice often.

I had previously posted Coconut Rice & Coconut Chicken. This recipe uses lesser ingredients than the chicken version.

And is perfect when you are having guests ... cooks on its own ... and with the minimum of stuff to use.


Need :

Prawns - 200 gms ( shelled, deveined and slightly steamed [optional] ),
Basmati rice - 1 tea cup  ( washed,  soaked for a while),
Coconut milk - half from the packet, around 5 or 6 tbsp, or as much as you like
Whole dry red chillies - 2, broken
Whole garam masala ( cinnamon, green cardamom , cloves ) - 2 each
Salt - a pinch
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Water.

How to :

Heat a little oil in a heavy bottomed kadhai / wok.
Add the chillies and the whole garam masala.
Now add the prawns and stir a little.
As soon as they change colour add the rice.
( Do not over fry the prawns ... they lose the softness).
Stir well and add the coconut milk ( on low flame ), salt and sugar.

If needed adjust with a little water. Cover and cook till rice is done .... but not overcooked.
Remove from heat , fluff it up with a fork or give a stir to separate the rice grains and keep covered for a while.



Serve hot.

This tastes so good that you need almost nothing to accompany it. But if preparing or guests, do pair it with something spicy and yet has less gravy.

Enjoy! :-)