Mangalorean Prawn Ghassi

Name: Mangalorean Prawn Ghassi
Ingredients: 1 lb 2oz raw prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined, but tails left on; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, plus more for the prawns; 3 –4 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil; 1 rounded tbsp coriander seeds; good pinch of fenugreek seeds; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 15 black peppercorns; 3 –6 dried kashmiri chiles, less hot than normal dried chilies, or 2–4 regular dried chilies; 1 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut (find it fresh in many supermarkets, or frozen in asian stores); 2 onions, 1 quartered, 1 finely chopped; 5 large garlic cloves; 1 1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped root ginger (peeled weight); chili powder, to taste (optional); 2 1/2 tablespoon tamarind paste, or to taste

Daisy Nichols|Nov. 28, 2017 3:24 pm EST

4.5 (2 ratings)

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Mangalorean food is so delicious, yet still undiscovered on this side of the world. I was introduced to it at the house of a friend, who had a Mangalorean lady coming to cook for her on occasion. She made a fish curry and it was just so delicious, it got me curious. I had some more Mangalorean food in restaurants in Bombay, but it was only when I got married that I found out more about it. The lady who was coordinating the marriage for the hotel was Mangalorean and, over the time it took to plan the wedding, I had learned a lot more. She also gave me a cookbook one of her relatives had written, to help me to understand it properly. I have since fallen in love with the food of this region… I haven’t tried a bad dish yet. I have simplified this recipe to appeal to busy cooks. Serve with rice or dosas. —Anjum Anand, author of I Love India

Servings

4

Ingredients

1 lb 2oz raw prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined, but tails left on
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, plus more for the prawns
3 –4 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
1 rounded tbsp coriander seeds
good pinch of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
15 black peppercorns
3 –6 dried kashmiri chiles, less hot than normal dried chilies, or 2–4 regular dried chilies
1 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut (find it fresh in many supermarkets, or frozen in asian stores)
2 onions, 1 quartered, 1 finely chopped
5 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped root ginger (peeled weight)
chili powder, to taste (optional)
2 1/2 tablespoon tamarind paste, or to taste

Directions

Wash the prawns well, apply a little salt and turmeric, and set aside.
Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a small pan and gently roast the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and dried chilies. Once they have darkened a little and are aromatic, scrape straight into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Place the spice powder into a blender with the coconut, the quartered onion, garlic, ginger, the 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, the tamarind and enough water to help the blades turn, and blend until very smooth; it might take a few minutes to get it smooth, but persevere.
Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick pan, add the chopped onion and some salt and sauté until colored on the edges. Add the paste and sauté for 10–12 minutes or until it releases oil back into the pan; it will stick so do keep an eye on it and stir as necessary. Then stir-fry for another 4–5 minutes or so over a high-ish flame until it moves around in a ball around the pan. Taste, it should be harmonious. Add chili powder to taste, if required.
Add 480ml (2 cups) water and stir well as you bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat a little and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the prawns, cover and cook over a medium heat until the prawns are done, just 2–3 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning and the level of tang with tamarind and serve hot.
Recipes excerpted with permission from I Love India by Anjum Anand, ( Quadrille September 2017)