Tangy Coconutty prawn curry

This is a super flavorful prawn curry and my recent favorite. This curry has all the flavors well balanced - nutty and sweet taste from the coconut milk, slight tinge of tanginess from tamarind and the super burst of flavor from the special masala prepared. The aroma of this curry will loom inside your house even hours after you've prepared them. Make it specially for your Friday dinner or weekend lunch and everyone in home will surely relish it. 

The flavours of this curry can be best appreciated when served as a side with neutral/ mild tasting dishes like idli, dosa, neer dosa, appam and idiappam.

Chicken, mutton and fish curry can also be done the same way. 

Ingredients

300 g prawn (I use cooked and frozen ones)

1 medium sized onion (chopped very fine)

1 ts freshly grated ginger garlic

Few curry leaves

Lots of finely chopped coriander leaves

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

For masala paste

2 ts coriander seed

4 red chillies

1 ts cumin seed

1/2 ts fennel seed
1/4 ts fenugreek seed

2 ts chana dal/ toor dal (optional)

1 gooseberry sized tamarind ball

1 ts kasa kasa

2 cloves

1 cardamon

Roast them in 1 ts oil

Preparation

- Take the spices needed for the masala paste ready in a plate. Heat 1 ts oil in a kadai. Let them heat a bit. Add all the spices together. Quickly lower flame and toss the spices carefully in low flame continuously for 1-2 minutes until they get roasted a little. Be careful not to brown them as they may taste bitter and spoil the taste of the curry. Take the roasted masala in a plate and allow them to cool. Then put them in a blender and add water in intervals until it forms a very smooth paste. 

- In this dish I have used pre - cooked prawns. If using fresh ones, put the cleaned deveined fresh prawns in hot boiling water for a while. After 2 minutes discard the water as use the prawn in the dish. 

- Heat oil in the kadai. Once hot, add the chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds. Add curry leaves and allow them to sizzle. Now add the ground masala paste. Add required salt. Mix well and allow it a boil. Then cook covered in simmer until oil seperates from the masala. Now add the coconut milk and continue cooking in simmer for 2-4 more minutes. Then little water if needed to dilute the curry. Allow the curry to boil over. Now add the prawns to the boiling curry and cook covered in simmer for 3-5 minutes. Finally add lots of coriander leaves. Mix well and let the curry rest for a while for the flavors to set.