Chemmeen Curry | Kerala Prawn Curry

 

5 May

I was visiting my aunt in Mumbai in 2018 during the winters. My mesho(aunt's husband) was working in Nabard and fortunately just during the weekend I was visiting, Nabard had setup Nabard Haat, a fair-cum-exhibition of local handicraft where Local and rural artisans from different states showcase and sell their products in more than 100 stalls.  It was spread out in a very big ground and was a big crowd puller. Things like Madhubani painting, sattu, pickle, papad, khadi clothes, Sambalpuri saris, Kerala clay utensils, pulse etc. were selling like hot cakes. It reminded me of the Krishi Mela (agricultural fair) we used to have in IIT Kharagpur annually.  Since back in my childhood days, there weren't many entertainment zones around, we would really wait for this fair where people from the area would showcase any agricultural products. And my main motive to visit the fair was to have the lovely food it would have. It was also the first place I had tasted the Butter fried fish of the famous Benfish brand (Bengalis would surely understand the nostalgia in this!). 

It was in this Nabard Haat that I saw a little shop selling Kerala pots and pans. Immediately my eye hovered on the Meen Chatty sitting on one of the corner of the shop. I so badly wanted to purchase it. While my aunt deliberated whether it was an authentic Meen chatty, my mesho said since it was a Nabard organized event, these were authentic local artisans. Even though the price seemed a little expensive I got the desired Meen Chatty finally. 

The Meen Chatti or Kerala Clay pot has always sounded fascinating to me. The first time I had seen anyone cooking in it was Peter Kuruvita in "My Sri Lanka" Series. He would effortlessly cook fabulous dishes on these clay pots in stunning locations and I used to keep imagining how amazing the food might taste because it was getting slow cooked on a clay pot. The earthy aromas would surely infuse and create a magic in the dish. 

Due to its numerous health benefits, Ayurveda suggests cooking in a clay pot. The food being cooked in an earthen cookware makes it aromatic and retaining the nutrition, minerals that include calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Clay being alkaline in nature helps in neutralizing the PH balance of the food by interacting with the acid present in the food and hence acts as a natural detox. The porous nature of earthenware allows for slow and even cooking, while retaining the natural juices in food.

Now, every time I thought about cooking in that chatty I was like, I don't want to blacken or harm to pot and kept pushing using it. Eventually I completely forgot about it. And very recently while housekeeping I 'discovered' it. This time around I decided I had to use it, so I followed the standard seasoning steps for the pot and got the pot ready in a week. Since it was a Kerala pot, it was only justified that the first thing I tried had to be a Kerala preparation.

I fell in love with Kerala cuisine when I was staying in Navi Mumbai. I stayed there for many years but only at the fag end of my stay I realized there was a Kerala House in Vashi, which was not very far from where I lived. The anonymity of the place was attributed to the fact that it was tucked away in an  obscure corner behind the Raghuleela mall in Vashi. It basically is the Culture center of the Kerala state Government that has a canteen within the premises.  A no frill place, they serve authentic Kerala Sadhya and you can order a side of chicken or fried fish. But the meal is just outstanding. Even if you are not a Malyali you will definitely end up loving the simple food. I remember it would get crowded fast, hence if you wanted to have a meal you needed to be at the place soon. 

The next time I had Kerala food was in Kerala itself. We dissed the gourmet restaurants and would always wander to the local cafes serving fish curry rice and appalam (papad). The ambience might not be great, but the food would be really finger licking good. Kerala food also has some similarity with the Bengali food culture hence I loved it even more. Any cuisine which has a heavy fish influence is close to my heart. Just like the Malvani cuisine of Maharashtra.

So the first dish I wanted to cook in this chatty was the Chemmeen curry or the Kerala prawn curry. I had got some scampis in my fridge which were perfect for the rich tangy curry. The combination is not unique to Kerala. In Thai and Jamaican cuisine, usage of shrimps with raw mango is present. And each one has a unique taste profile which is interesting and delicious. Marinated prawns slowcooked in a tart raw mango curry in a clay pot and simmered with coconut milk to perfection that's what Chemmeem curry is to me. This is a delightful recipe to enjoy in the hot summer months.

Preparation Time: 15  minutes

Marination Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20  minutes

Serves - 2 adult 

Ingredients for curry:

• Scampi - 4, medium size, cleaned (250 gm)
• Onions - 1 medium, thinly sliced
• Green Chilli - 4, slitted
• Raw Mango - 1 , medium, sliced
• Curry Leaves - 10-15
• Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 11/2 tsp + /2 tsp
• Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
• Lime Juice - 1/2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Coconut Oil/ Refined Oil

Ingredients for tempering:

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 10-12 leaves
• Cooking Oil - 1 tbsp

Equipment:

• Seasoned Earthen Pot

Preparation

Clean the Scampi/ shrimps, slice the raw mangoes and onions. Make a paste of ginger and garlic. Have the coconut milk ready. Or if you are using coconut milk powder, then mix equal portions of coconut milk powder and water for a thick milk. Or 2 part water and 1 part coconut milk powder for a thinner consistency.

Procedure: 

1.  Marinate the cleaned Scampi with red pepper powder and lime juice for 10 minutes.

Tip: I used scampi with head for a richer flavor, as the head of a prawn or shrimp contains a lot of flavors. If you don't like prawn heads then you can discard them.

Note: You can use any type of prawn for this recipe.

2. Take the seasoned pot and heat it on medium flame. Add cooking oil and let it heat for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Note: The earthen pot you use for cooking needs to be completely seasoned before use. The process I followed was - Keep the earthen vessel fully immersed in a water bath for 3 days. On 4th day take it out and let it dry completely ( approx. 2 days). When fully dry apply a generous coat of mustard oil. The earthen pot will soak up all the oil and be ready for cooking. This ensures it would not crack on exposure to heat.

3. To the oil add the slitted green chilli, ginger and garlic paste and a pinch of salt. Sauté for a minute till raw smell is gone.

4. Add the sliced onions. Fry till they are translucent.

5. Add the turmeric, salt and red chilli powder. Sauté for a few seconds.

6. Add about 1/2 cup water. Add the sliced raw mango. Add pepper powder. Adjust the salt and sugar. Fold in. Cook for a few minutes.

7. Now add water as per the desired curry consistency. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat till the mangoes and onions are softened.

8. Add the scampi/prawn/shrimp at this point and increase the heat. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the scampi turns opaque.

Note: Since I had large sized scampi, hence I let them cook on each side for 3-4 minutes in the gravy, turning them over at half the time.

9. Now reduce the heat and add the coconut milk. Mix well and let it simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes. Adjust the water for consistency and adjust the seasoning as well.

Seasoning :

In a separate pan heat some coconut oil or any cooking oil. Temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Now pour this tempering over the curry. Let it sit covered for the flavors to infuse. Stir it before serving. For the perfect company, serve it with matta rice.