Indian Prawn Curry

A few months ago new neighbors moved in down the hallway and they’re from India. I love Indian food and the aroma’s coming from that apartment was a subtle reminder that I haven’t made any Indian food in a while. I wasn’t in the mood for cooking in the kitchen for longer than an hour so this dish is perfect as it can be ready within 30-40 minutes. The word curry comes from the South Indian word Kari meaning sauce. Curries are found in various Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. These curries all differ in taste and in India, the curries are different from region to region.

Serves 4
recipe from Delicious magazine

650g peeled and deveined prawns
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil
400g (2 cups) basmati rice
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
125ml (1/2 cup) plain Greek style yogurt
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

Place prawns in a bowl with garlic, ginger, spices, 2 teaspoons oil and some salt and pepper. Stir well to coat, cover and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions. Cover and keep warm. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat. Add prawns and stir fry 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium then add the onion and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until tomato is softened. Return prawns to pan with yogurt and coriander, warm through, stirring for 1 minute. Season to taste and serve with rice.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: The flavors here are sensational! Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper especially salt as this will bring out the flavors of the spices. I added a bit of ground cumin as this is one of my favorite spices. Make sure you use fresh spices. If it’s been sitting in the cupboard for longer than a year, throw it out as the spice will be stale and ruin the flavor of the dish.