MALABAR CHEMEEN KARI

Prawns or chemeen cooked with drumsticks in the typical Keralite style Preparation Time : 15 minutes Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

Prawns (kolambi/jhinga) 1 kilogram Drumsticks, 3 inch pieces 2 Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Salt to taste Raw mangoes 2 medium Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1 teaspoon Coconut, scraped 2 cups Oil 6 tablespoons Sambhar onions, halved 10-12 Red chilli powder 1 tablespoon Coriander powder 1 tablespoon Green chillies, slit 2 Curd chillies, slit 4 Curry leaves 10-12 Kodumpuli 6 pieces Coconut oil 1 tablespoon Whole dry red chillies 4

Method

Clean, de-vein and wash the prawns. Pat them dry and marinate in turmeric powder and little salt. Peel mangoes and cut into wedges. Lightly pound the fenugreek seeds. Soak and grind coconut with half a cup of warm water and extract thick milk. Reserve the coconut residue also. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a deep pan, add onions and fry till transluscent. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder and stir. Put in the green and curd chillies, curry leaves and the kodumpuli. Add the coconut residue and four cups of water. Boil till it reduces by half and thickens. Strain the curry through a mesh pressing well to extract all the flavors. Keep aside. Heat the remaining oil and coconut oil, add the pounded fenugreek seeds and the whole red chillies and stir well. Add the marinated prawns, drumsticks and mangoes. Cook till the prawns are almost done. Pour in the curry and simmer till it combines well, add salt to taste. Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and reheat to simmering point.

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Tip

* Store olive oil, herbs and spices away from sunlight. They keep better.

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