Spicy Prawn Bowl

Spicy Prawn Bowl is a dish which acquires its taste from covered slow cooking in a skillet without the addition of any water. The flavour of the spices gets mingled to perfection with the prawns to result in a superlative deliciousness that has to be savoured to understand. Monsoon is here and it’s the most apt dish to accompany your plate of hot steamed rice. This dish uses mustard paste to give a touch of tanginess to the palate. You will need large or jumbo prawns with head intact for this dish. Try this and see what magic it creates at the lunch table on a rainy day…..

Prawn Tikka Masala

When Indians in every nook and corner of the world are celebrating Makar Sankranti/PoushParbon/Lohri with sweets, coconut, jaggery, rice flour here’s something deliciously savoury for you to be enjoyed with steaming Gobindobhog or Basmati rice. Prawn Tikka Masala is a taste of divinity on your palate with a creamy sauce of yogurt, tomatoes and fresh cream much similar to its chicken and paneer (cottage cheese) counterparts with a bonus of the flavour of prawn. Though many restaurants have this dish on their menu, I think it tastes best when home cooked. Quite an easy peasy, hassle-free recipe, it can be made with medium to king sized prawns for the desired outcome.

 

Prawn Tikka Masala

Spicy Prawn Curry (Chingrir Jhal)

All the seafood lovers out there this is one prawn dish I’m sure that you would love to try!! This dish is always a winner, makes a match made in heaven with plain steamed rice. Texture, color, flavour you name it, this is superlative in each. So quick and easy, it’s a foolproof recipe and ready within half an hour together with the preparation time. So what are you waiting for? Rush to your kitchen if you have some prawns in your freezer, make this delectable spicy prawn curry and enjoy the bliss of having awesome food with every morsel.

 

Spicy Prawn Curry

Milk Pulao With Prawns (Chingri Maacher Dudh Polao)

This is another exotic rice dish I found blog worthy. It is stunning enough to adorn a party table as well as a quiet private lunch with your family. The brilliance in aroma, taste and texture was quite amazing, difficult to put in words until you have tasted it. This is the season of fresh prawns as you know it. All of them will vanish from the market in a month or two with the rise in temperature. So I’m trying to make the most of the hay time cooking the prawn dishes I have on my mind. Those who are allergic to prawns or looking for a vegetarian option can cook it with the seasonal veggies like cauliflower, carrots, peas etc. Will give that recipe another time.

Milk Pulao With Prawns

Doi Golda (Lobsters In Rich Creamy Yogurt Sauce)

Sunday is the day of making a special dish for lunch. Sonny awaits with expectations of something new, different and delicious. He suggested a few days back, “Maa  why don’t you make a special prawn dish this Sunday?” I pondered, yes has been a while I made a prawn dish. Went to the market in the morning to try my luck in getting some fresh large prawns for lunch. Had come across an awesome prawn recipe quite a few days back and was dying to give it a try. But the fish market disappointed me. Couldn’t find any large prawn, only some stale small ones lying with one vendor. Suddenly something caught my eye. At one corner was a boy about fifteen years of age, selling some minnows along with some fresh medium sized fresh water lobsters or Indian scampi heaped at one side. Walked up to him and after a good bargain bagged a kilo of those lobsters. Though my recipe needed tiger prawns, I couldn’t resist buying them to see how things turn out.

Doi Golda

Prawn Butter Masala (Amritsari)

#Pujo Special 2 –Prawn Butter Masala(Amritsari)
 

Here’s another exquisite dish specially to infuse variety into your palate. This is a real quickie can be dished within 15 minutes roughly but doesn’t compromise with the taste and flavour. So take some time out of your pandal hopping and serve this stunner as Ashtami lunch….The recipe…

Prawn Butter Masala

Prawn Butter Masala

Prawn Butter Masala

Prawn Butter Masala

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms medium to large prawns deveined and cleaned with warm water
• 2-3 onions finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tblspns cashew paste
• 150 gms yogurt beaten to a creamy consistency
• 3 green cardamoms
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 3-4 cloves
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri red mirch powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 -3 tblspns butter
• 2 tblspns fresh cream
• Salt n sugar as per taste

Procedure:

Marinate the prawns with a little turmeric and salt. Heat 2 tblspns butter in a skillet and sauté the prawns for 2 minutes and take out. Add the rest of butter in the same skillet and splutter whole garam masalas. Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste, sauté. Now add the cashew paste, salt, sugar keep stirring. Lower the flame and slowly add the whipped yogurt. Add Kashmiri red chilli powder and the prawns. Mix them well and let the prawns simmer for 4-5 minutes. Top it up with some fresh cream and your dish is ready to be served. Goes well with pulao/ steamed rice/ naans/ paranthas….

Prawn Balchao ~ A Goan Delicacy

Sunday had put me in the mood for something Goan. Had luckily come across a recipe book with Goan cuisines and was dying to try a dish from it. Much similar in food habits to the Bongs the Goan staple diet includes fish and rice. But their cuisine amalgamates both Hindu and Portuguese flavours beautifully. Prawn Balchao is one such dish with the Portuguese flavour and is one of the obvious dishes that come to mind when speaking of Goa. The condiments required are more or less readily available in all Bong kitchens so didn’t have to buy anything special for this dish. It’s a very easy recipe and is lip-smacking enough to be gobbled up in a second and preferably should be savored with plain steamed rice for the gastronomic pleasure. The recipe…

Prawn Balchao

Prawn Balchao

Prawn Balchao

Prawn Balchao

Prawn Balchao

Prawn Balchao

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms medium sized prawns deveined and cleaned with warm water
• 2 onions chopped
• 8-9 pods of garlic
• 8-9 whole dry red chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 3 tsp whole jeera/cumin seeds
• 1/3 cup white vinegar or malt vinegar (whichever you prefer, I used white vinegar)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 big tomato chopped
• Salt to taste
• White oil as per requirement

Procedure:

Soak ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies in vinegar with some salt for 45 minutes. Now make a smooth paste in the mixie.Your Balchao masala is ready. Smear some salt on the prawns. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the prawns for 2 minutes. Take them out and in the same oil add the onions, when golden add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes are well fried add the Balchao masala. Add salt and sugar. Keep stirring for1 minute and add the prawns. Add a little warm water and let the prawns simmer for 5-7 minutes before turning off the flame. Serve with plain hot rice…..and ENJOY!!

Pui Chingrir Ghonto (Prawns-potato-pumpkin And Malabar Spinach Mishmash)

Sunday Means special dishes and Pui Chingrir Ghonto ( Prawns-potato-pumpkin and malabar spinach mishmash) is another classic Bong dish I prepared this time. Pui shaak also known as Basella leaves or Malabar Spinach tastes more delicious with either prawns or Hilsa head than its vegeterian version. Served on a bed of steamed rice its a killer of a dish. You just have to make it to believe.....here's the recipe...

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Malabar spinach
• 500 gms medium sized prawns with head and deveined
• 2 large potatoes diced
• 300 gms red pumpkin diced
• 2 onions chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp deghi red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp paanch phoron/ five spices(fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds or wild celery seeds)
• 1-2 dry whole red chillies
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Mustard oil as per requirement

Pui Chingrir Ghonto

Procedure:

First wash and chop Malabar spinach and keep aside. Wash clean the prawns in warm water and smear with some turmeric and salt. Heat oil in a karahi and saute the prawns for 2 minutes and take out. Now in the same oil splutter paanch phoron and dry red chillies. Now add the onions, ginger garlic paste and fry for a few minutes before adding the potatoes. Fry the potatoes well and add the pumpkin, continue to stir. Add all the powdered masalas , salt and sugar. Mix and add the Malabar spinach. Cover and cook until the potatoes and Malabar spinach are almost done. Add the prawns, stir well and cook for 5 minutes more covered. Turn off the heat. Serve hot on a bed of steamed rice.....

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa (Jumbo Prawns Steamed With Mustard Paste And Topped With Grated Coconut)

Mustard Paste is an integral part of Bong cooking specially the fish and prawn preparations. So when I saw these fresh jumbo prawns in the fish market on Sunday morning the first thing that came to my mind was Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa. A traditional Bengali delicacy famous for its exquisite taste, the tangy mustard and mild coconut flavour is loved by all Bongs sitting in any corner of the world. Cooking time is only 10 minutes and you are ready to get amazed by the sheer awesomeness of the dish....Here's the recipe..

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 750 gms Jumbo Prawns or medium sized Lobsters with head intact
• 3 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp posto/ khuskhus/poppy seeds
• 7-8 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 coconut grated
• Mustard oil as per requirement
• Salt to taste

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Procedure:

Wash and clean the prawns in hot water. Soak the mustard seeds and poppy seeds in water with some salt and 2 green chillies for 1 hour. Now make a smooth paste in the grinder and keep aside. Take an airtight steel container and put all the ingredients including the prawns except the grated coconut. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the coconut on the prawns, keep aside the rest. Now close the lid of the container. Take water in a big bowl or flat bottomed skillet. Place the container in such a way that the water level remains under the level of the lid. Now cover the skillet and let the prawns get cooked in steam for 7-10 minutes. Take out after some time and top it with the rest of the grated coconut....serve with steamed rice....

Aloo Fulkopi Diye Chingri Maachher Kaaliya ( Prawns Cooked With Potatoes And Cauliflower In A Rich Gravy)

There’s a Bong phrase called “Maayer Haater Ranna” or “The Taste Of  Maa’s Cooking” and who can understand it better than me!! How I miss those blissfully delicious food cooked with so much love and affection and not to mention my childhood days in Kolkata!! One of those dishes was “Aloo Fulkopi Diye Chingri Maachher Kaaliya” “Prawns Cooked With Potatoes And Cauliflower In A Rich Gravy”. Maa used to cook it brilliantly, took it to a different level. I had made an attempt to make it reminiscing her cooking, though the taste was not like hers but good enough to be relished by everyone. The dish needs prawns with heads intact or preferably medium-sized fresh water lobsters/Indian Scampi having large heads, but both of them were not available in the market. So I had to do with packed Sumeru prawns the only variety I could find in Amritsar. Sharing with you Maa’s recipe of that delicacy….

Chingri Maachher Kaaliya

Chingri Maachher Kaaliya

Chingri Maachher Kaaliya

Chingri Maachher Kaaliya

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 750 gms prawns/lobsters deveined
• 3 potatoes sliced
• 1 whole cauliflower cut into big florets
• 2 big onions chopped/grated
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 large tomato puree
• 4 green chillies
• 4 green cardamoms
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
• 2 tsp atta/wheatflour
• Mustard oil as per requirement
• 1 tblspn ghee/clarified butter
• Salt n sugar to taste

Chingri Maachher Kaaliya

Procedure:

Wash and clean the prawns in warm water and smear with turmeric and salt. Heat oil on a wok, sauté the prawns for a few minutes and take them out. Now fry the potatoes and cauliflower florets. Remove from the wok as soon as they take a light brown hue. Now in the same oil splutter the whole garam masalas, add some sugar for a richer color, add onions and fry them brown. Add ginger garlic paste, keep frying, add the tomato puree, salt and the powdered masalas. Keep stirring till the oil separates. Add water mixed with atta and cook covered till the potatoes are almost done. Now add the prawns and cook for 5 -7 minutes covered, turn off the heat. Serve topping it with ghee and slit green chillies.

Steamed Shrimps ( Kuncho Chingri Bhape)

This is a fingerlickingly delicious Bong dish, can be done with jumbo prawns or medium sized prawns also but this time I chose to use shrimps to see how it turns out to be and the result was just too good. Generally this dish needs mustard paste but I use khus khus/ posto/ poppy seeds paste with it to give an extra edge....try this out.. its really simple and cooks within minutes...

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms shrimps cleaned and washed in hot water
• 2 tblspns black mustard seeds
• 2 tblspns yellow mustard seeds
• 3 tblspns Khus-Khus/ Posto/poppy seeds
• 5-6 green chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tblspns mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Procedure:

First soak mustard seeds, poppy seeds/posto, 3 green chillies, and salt in a container for 1 hour in 1/2 cup water. Now make a smooth paste of these ingredients. In an air tight steel container put the shrimps, mustard/ poppy seeds paste, mustard oil, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 3-4 green chillies and a little bit of water. Mix them all, tightly close the lid. Place the container in a large bowl with water and cover the bowl. Check that the water level must be below the lid of the container with the shrimps. Let it get cooked in steam for 7-8 minutes on high flame... your kuncho chingri bhape is ready to be savoured with steamed rice.

Lau Chingri ( Prawns with Bottle Gourd)

This is another Bong speciality learnt from my mother. A dish rich in taste n aroma with succulent prawns melting in your mouth.

Lau Chingri

Lau Chingri

Lau Chingri

Ingredients:

• Prawns medium sized 250 gms
• Bottle gourd(lau) 500 gms peeled and diced
• Onions chopped 2
• Ginger garlic paste 2tsp
• Tomato chopped 1
• Whole garam masala (Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves)
• Bay leaves (tej patta) 1
• Mustard oil as per need
• Ghee 1 tblspn
• Turmeric powder 1tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tsp
• Salt n sugar to taste
• Green chillies and coriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure:

Put bottle gourd in a cooker with a liitle water, cook to three whistles and keep aside. Heat oil in a karahi fry the prawns with turmeric and salt, take out once the prawns change color. Now in the remaining oil splutter whole garam masala, bay leaf and add onions. Fry till golden, now add the ginger-garlic paste, saute for a few minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, continue frying. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and sugar. When you see the oil separates after a while add the bottle gourd and prawns. Add some water if needed for the gravy and let it be cooked for some time. Now sprinkle ghee and turn off the heat. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve with steamed rice.

Prawn Malai Curry

Today I made Chingri Malai Curry( Prawns in Coconut gravy) one of the most delectable Bengali cuisines as special Sunday lunch.

Prawn Malai Curry

Prawn Malai Curry

Prawn Malai Curry

Recipe:
 

Ingredients: 

• Prawns 500 gms deveined n washed in warm water
• Onions 2 finely chopped
• Ginger 1 inch grated
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tsp
• Salt n sugar to taste
• 4 green chillies slit
• Coconut 1 whole grated and put in warm water for about half an hour. The coconut milk is then strained out in a bowl n kept aside.

Procedure: 

Heat mustard oil in a karahi and fry the chopped onions….when light brown add the grated ginger sauté…then add the prawns. Put the masalas turmeric, kashmiri red chilli powder, salt n sugar n stir the prawns well till the redden a bit. Now add the coconut milk. Let the prawns get cooked for 5 -7 mins on high flame and as the gravy thickens, add slit green chillies. Serve hot with steamed rice. One of the easiest recipes yet tastes so good that you won’t be able to control your rice intake with it…..