Prawns can be cooked in almost
every way that you might like – sauté, stir fry, deep fry, curry, baked –
almost anything. Curry obviously is a major part of Indian Cuisine but wait a
minute the onion tomato and spice curry is not the only curry that we do. There
can hundreds of curry in made in numerous ways. So that’s what I tried here –
bringing some distinct flavours from several parts of the country.
‘Posto’ or poppy seeds are used extensively throughout Bengali
& Oriya cuisine it gives a very nice texture and a certain poppy hit. I
have also used ‘char magaz’ which is
a mix of dried almond, watermelon, pumpkin & cantaloupe seeds for the
curry. It is mostly used in Rajasthani cuisine as well as in Bengali cuisine.
So now you know Bengali food is not only fish & sweets!!
It is served with yakhni rice,
which is nothing but cooking rice in aromatic water than the regular water.
Simple!
All that you need
For Prawn &
Poppy seed sauce
1.
Prawn – 250 g
2.
Tomato pureed – 2 cups
3.
Posto (poppy seeds) – 2 tbl spoon & Char
Magaz – 1 tbl spoon (soacked in warm water for 20 mins & pureed)
4.
Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
5.
Cashew nut & raisins (soaked in water) –
½ cup
6.
Coconut Milk – 1 cup
7.
Red chilli powder – ¼ tea spoon
8.
Cumin powder – ¼ tea spoon
9.
Salt to taste
10.
Oil/Clarified butter – 2 table spoons
11.
Lime juice – 1 table spoon
For Yakhni Rice
1.
Long Grain rice – 1 cup
2.
Star Anise – 1
3.
Bay Leaf – 1
4.
Cloves – 5-6
5.
Green Cardamom – 4
6.
Black Cardamom – 1
7.
Cinnamon – 2 small sticks
8.
Cumin Seeds – 1 tea spoon
9.
Coriander seeds – 1 tea spoon
10.
Black peppercorn – 1 tea spoon
11.
Water – 2.5 cups
12.
Muslin Cloth – 8x8 inch
So Now let’s get Started
 |
| Poppy seeds & chaar magaz |
For
Prawn & poppy Sauce
De-vein and
clean the prawn – and marinate them with the lime juice and salt for 10 mins
Sauté the prawns
in a wok till it turns opaque and then take of the fire
In the same
wok heat oil and add cumin seeds.
When it starts
spluttering add the pureed mix of poppy seeds & char magaz and keep frying
till oil separates.
Add pureed
tomato, cumin powder, red chilli powder and keep stirring
Add salt to
taste and cook in low flame for 5 mins
Add the
coconut milk and simmer for another 5 mins.
Add the fried prawns, cashew &
raisin to the curry and simmer for 2 mins.
And you are done with your prawn.
 |
| Whole spices for yakhni rice |
For Yakhni Rice
Yakhni rice may sound complex but is very
simple actually.
Take a muslin cloth, put all the dry
whole spices and make a small parcel.
Boil that parcel in water for 20 mins.
Cook the rice in this water. (I added
some cumin seeds for extra flavour)
Garnish & serve the prawn
with this aromatic rice.
