the pepper cook

Cooking doesn’t get any easier. A simple, Goa-inspired prawn curry flavoured with garlic, onions and coriander. Prawns are easy and quick to make, and always impress guests. This curry, cooked with tamarind and coconut milk, is ready in a jiffy. Light, not too spicy, tart and creamy, it’s lovely for brunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

• 15 pieces large prawns (250g), cleaned and deveined
• ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli, ground or smoked paprika Click here to buy Kashmiri chili powder
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion (about 3” diameter), thinly sliced
• 1 green chili, topped and sliced along the centre
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste Click here to buy thick & tangy tamarind pulp
• 200 ml coconut milk Click here to buy a nice creamy coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil Click here to buy cold-pressed virgin coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Marinate clean prawns with salt and ground Kashmiri chilli.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat, add garlic and fry until the bits start changing colour to a golden brown, about one minute. Add onion, green chilli, and ground coriander and fry, for another minute.
3. Add prawns, and lower heat to medium. Fry, for 3-4 minutes until prawns change colour.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste. Fry, for another minute, so flavours get combined.
5. Add coconut milk, lower heat and mix paste and coconut milk until well combined.
6. Simmer, for 4-5 minutes until done, but do not allow to boil.
7. Serve hot with rice.

Critical Ingredients:

If you don’t have Kashmiri chilies, use paprika.  In addition to flavour and mild heat, the Kashmiri chilies add colour. If you don’t have either, throw in some turmeric for colour. No green chili? Don’t sweat. Use some dried red chilies. Don’t like hot food, then don’t slice the chili.  If you are using coconut cream instead of coconut milk, use about 60 ml coconut cream mixed with 120 ml water. While I’ve written tamarind paste, you can also use tamarind pulp. Soak a 1” ball of tamarind in ¼ cup water for about one hour. Squeeze and drain and use liquid only. If you don’t have ground coriander seeds, you can substitute ground cumin.