This curry follows the Goan rule of balance: tamarind brings the sourness, coconut milk softens the heat and a spoon of jaggery rounds it all off. The prawns go in at the very end, so they stay tender.
Serves: 4 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes · Contains: crustaceans
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves (optional)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 3cm piece of ginger, grated
- 1 to 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 400ml tin of coconut milk
- 1½ tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp grated jaggery or soft brown sugar
- 400g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- Salt, to taste
- A handful of coriander leaves and lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they pop, then add the curry leaves and stand back as they spit.
- Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the turmeric, ground coriander and chilli powder with a splash of water and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so the spices do not catch.
- Pour in the coconut milk, then stir in the tamarind paste and jaggery. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Taste and season with salt. Add more tamarind if it tastes flat, or a little more jaggery if it tastes too sharp.
- Add the prawns and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn pink and opaque all the way through.
- Scatter over the coriander and serve with rice and lime wedges.
Tip
Balance the sauce before the prawns go in. Once they are cooked, the curry should come off the heat straight away. More on tasting for balance in Sweet, Sour and Heat.
