Prawn Malai Curry

This is a rich and delicious dish made of prawns cooked in a creamy aromatic gravy. Unlike regular cream, coconut milk is used here which is infused with mild spices to make it fragrant. Also called ‘Chingri maacher malaikari’, this is a popular Bengali delicacy, usually made on special occasions. It is one of my favorites because the gravy is finger-licking good! Really! You can use any type of medium to large-sized prawns, de-vein them and remove the heads. (The heads can be deep fried and eaten separately). You can choose to leave the shells on; I like the crispy shell and the flavors that are trapped just under it but some people find the shell too hard, so you can remove it if you want.

Prep time: 45 min Cooking time: 30 min Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Prawns: 1/2 kg
Onion: 1 large
Garlic: 1 large clove
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece
Green Chillies: 4 slit
Mustard oil: 4 tbsp
Bay Leaves: 3
Cardamom seeds: 1 pod, crushed
Cloves: 2
Cinnamon: 1 small stick
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp
Garam Masala powder: 1 tsp
Coconut Milk: 1 can
Water: 1 can
Salt
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Dhaniya/Coriander leaves: 1 sprig

Method:
1) Clean and de-vein prawns and smear them with some salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Keep aside for 30 min.
2) Meanwhile, make a paste of the onion, ginger and garlic. You can also chop them very finely if you don’t have a grinder as it does not make any difference in taste but the consistency is smoother if you grind it.
3) Heat some mustard oil in a pan and saute the prawns till they are golden but do not overcook them. The whole process should take 5-7 minutes depending on how large the prawns are.

4) Take the prawns out and add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in the same oil. Once they start to splutter, add the onions, ginger and garlic (chopped or paste). You can sprinkle sugar so that the onions get slightly brown and let it cook till the oil starts to leave the paste.
5) Add turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, salt and green chillies and mix it well with the paste.
6) After around 5 minutes, pour the coconut milk along with the same can of water or around 1 1/2 cups, cover the pan and let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes. You can adjust the amount of water depending on how thick you want your gravy to be.

7) Add the prawns to it and sprinkle garam masala powder and cook it for 5 to 10 minutes till the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.

8) Sprinkle some chopped dhaniya/coriander leaves, which is optional, and remove from heat. Serve hot with white rice or pulao.