Parsi Styled Prawns
This week I want to share a recipe for prawns cooked Parsi style.
This is an ancient recipe that has been passed down the generations by word of mouth.
In this particular recipe the prawns are fried in a masala which uses only five ingredients (besides salt and oil) and the end result is the most amazing prawn dish!!
So, let’s get started.
Serves:
2
Preparation Time:
15 Min
Cooking Time:
20 Min
Complexity:
Medium
Ingredients:
1 kg green Prawns (with shell)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons brown Cumin seeds
3 cloves of Garlic, peeled
1/2 cup brown Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Chilli powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Directions:
Remove the shell from the prawns, devein and refrigerate.
Roast the cumin seeds and let cool.
Grind the cumin seeds, garlic cloves and brown vinegar to a fine paste.
In a pan, add the oil and immediately add the masala (spice mix).
Add the turmeric, chilli powder and salt to the masala.
Cook over moderate heat until the spice mix is cooked and the oil rises to the surface. (See no. 1 below.)
Add the prawns and fold in the masala till it coats the prawns.
Increase the heat and cover the pan. Cook for 1 minute and then reduce heat to moderate-high. Cover with a lid and cook for a mintue or two.
When cooked, serve the prawns as an accompaniment with dhaan dal (rice and dal), or as a salad, or as a pickle, or as a main course with Indian flat breads, or . . . well, the choices are endless!
Footnotes:
1. Start cooking the masala in cold oil. Heat the oil after the masala has been added. Adding the masala to the cold oil helps cook it till the flavours from the ground spices comes out without burning it!
2. If brown vinegar is not available, use apple cider vinegar instead.
3. This dish can also be made with fish, especially a dried fish called boomla (that’s also frequently known as Bombay Duck) and it can then be used as a pickle!
4. You can use any leftover spice mix to cook with slices of eggplant, or grated carrots, as you wish.
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