Curries & Stories: prawns

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.

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We have just returned from the mountains last week. It had been an amazing week in the verdant landscape of Himachal Pradesh. And as usual we went to all the unconventional, rarely preferred by the usual tourist spots to getaway from the humdrum and enjoy 5 days of complete unwinding. We are still sorting out the photos hence the detailed travelog will be along as soon as the photo sorting is over.

I am still feeling lazy and feel like again packing my stuffs again and head for the hills never to return again. Getting lost in the unexplored forest paths of Kasol was much better than cooking, cleaning and attending office everyday. Sigh! Too much of a good thing never lasts for long.

I had emptied my refrigerator before leaving for the vacation. So on coming back the first task was to stuff my fridge with the necessary ration to kick start my kitchen. I went to the fish market to get my regular supply of fish. The fish seller usually got small prawns without shells. Fortunately that day I saw she had a bowlful of beautiful Tiger prawns with shells on that looked really fresh. They looked pretty tempting and A also proposed we can make Malaikari with them. So I got 10 of them for my weekend Malaikari.

Now Malaikari is a dish that was not often prepared in our home when I was a kid. Both my parents had shell fish allergy hence I was the only one who would eat prawns. Ma would make simple prawn curry which tasted equally good with the huge prawns which where available during those days. Malaikari is something which I slowly started liking after tasting it in some hotel I believe, I dont remember clearly though. Prawns are such a flavorful fish that it can give a character to any preparation in which it is used. The larger ones are used in the signature dishes while the smaller ones when used in any curry or vegetable dish enhances the taste multifold.

Malaikari falls into the list of Regal items that are usually made during any special occasions like birthdays or weddings. It's a close competitor of Hilsa curry also made in Bengal. Chinri malaikari, Kosha Mangsho and Bhaapa Ilish, forms the troika of the Royal dishes of Bengal. This recipe originated in Bangladesh (though some Ghotis of West Bengal would beg to differ about the origin) and has close resemblance with some of it’s neighboring Thai and Malaysian food, even Sri Lankan if I dare to say so. Interestingly, there is variance in the traditional recipe made in Bengali homes due to the regional influence of East or West Bengal - everyone adds their own little secret touch to make it a heirloom recipe passed on to the next generation with care.

According to the age old recipe, the curry was cooked with prawns having shells. Its not the prawns that give the main flavor and taste to this curry but the prawn head that does the magic of creating a flavorful and divine melt in the mouth curry. The Malai of the curry refers to the thick coconut milk. You can use any type of big prawn like tiger or jumbo prawns or scampi or lobster for this recipe. The rule is - the bigger the size, the better it is. The juices of the prawn blend in with the coconut milk and the spices to give it great depth of flavor and taste.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 2

Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients:

Large Prawns with shell and head - 10
Onion - 2 big
Shah Jeera (Caraway Seed) - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
Garlic - 4-5 pods
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 2 " stick
Cardamom - 3 bruised
Cloves - 3-4 bruised
Coconut milk - 1 Cup
Dry Red Chilli - 2 broken in half
Tej Pata (Bay Leaf ) - 1 big
Green Chilli - 2
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Sugar as per taste
Mustard Oil

Procedure for Coconut Milk
For this recipe I had used Maggi Coconut Powder. I used 2 spoonful of the powder and mixed it in a cup of milk, taking care no lump is formed. You can also use the canned Coconut milk readily available in any supermart. Else if you want to use fresh coconut milk then you can scrape the coconut and add hot water to the scraped coconut. Make a thick paste of the scrapings and strain it to get the coconut milk. However it doesn't make much difference in taste even if you use the market available milk or powder.So it's entirely your take whether you want to indulge into the extra effort of extracting coconut milk from fresh coconut or not.

Procedure

1. Wash for long and de-vein the prawns. Keep the head and tail part intact. Remove the shells from the middle. I had removed the eyes from the head (optional). Marinate with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

2. Heat mustard oil in the skillet . When the oil starts to steam toss in the marinated prawns. Fry till they turn pink for 2-3 minutes. Due to the presence of the head and tail the prawns will curl less. Overcooking the prawns would make them rubbery hence take care not to cook them for long. Drain the oil and keep the fried prawns aside.

3. Chop the onions and make a paste of onions, garlic and one green chilli. Make a paste of ginger separately. Keep aside.

4. In the same skillet add some ghee and more mustard oil (if required). When the oil is hot enough add the Shah Jeera, bruised cardamom and clove, cinnamon stick, Bay leaf and dry red chillies.

Shah Jeera greatly accentuates the flavor of the recipe. You can make the curry without a Shah Jeera tempering, but I strongly recommend it. Only thing make sure that you use good quality Shah Jeera for getting the best flavors.

5. When a nice aroma of the dried spice comes add the onion paste and saute till the raw smell of the garlic is gone. Add a pinch of salt to the onion paste, it accelerates the cooking process of onion.

6. Add the ginger paste and fold in. Cook with frequent stirring till the onion releases oil. You can also add a bit of water in between to keep the onion from sticking to the skillet.

7.When the raw smell is gone add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and cumin powder. Mix everything.

8. Add the Coconut milk now. Let the gravy simmer for 3-4 minutes so the gravy gains some body.

9. Now add the fried prawns into the gravy and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame and not more than that else the prawn will become rubbery and hard. Adjust the salt and sugar level at this stage. The gravy is supposed to be a thick one with a predominant sweet taste.

10. Add a dash of ghee and garam masala powder and close the lid. Let the gravy sit inside till its time to serve. As the gravy sits the rich aroma of prawns and coconut milk will gradually bring in the soul of the dish together.

Serve it on a bed of steamed rice. I served mine along with a simple peas pulao. The peas pulao tempered with shah jeera as well went wonderfully along with the rich creamy Chingrir malaikari.