Prawn coconut curry

You all know I bought Rick Stein’s India cookbook a couple of weeks ago – and I have been dying to make a curry from it ever since!

And guess what? Good Friday delivered my first curry. Well, it isn’t my first curry ever, but the first curry from my new cookbook. My husband absolutely adored my adaptation of this prawn coconut curry. He kept asking if there was more for him to devour but I only bought enough prawns for the one meal! 😦

I always thought curries were hot, as in spicy hot. That’s how most of Thailand’s curries are and I just thought all curries would be like that. That was until I actually started reading Rick Stein’s India cookbook and I found out that not all Indian curries are hot. So now I’m even more intrigued about curries!

I also found out another interesting fact while reading this book. As worldly as curry is, the word curry is more like ‘food with gravy’ in India.

I have to say once upon a time, I would never try anything other than a Thai or Malaysian red curry or Indian butter chicken. They were always my safe dishes, my “go-to” dishes that never disappointed. I knew the ingredients in them and loved the way they tasted. Watching Rick Stein cook in India, made me think that ‘I could cook that’, ‘he makes it look so easy’, ‘that’s not hard at all!’ and so far so good.

I have adapted this recipe to our specific tastes. We like a little heat in our curries, as much as I know that not every curry needs to be spicy hot. The chilli flakes were added closer to the end of cooking and before I added the prawns. Chilli flakes are optional but they do add an extra depth to this curry. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

TIP 1: The quantity of prawns I used was for two people, but the curry/sauce was made as per cookbook. There was plenty of sauce/curry left over so you could easily add more prawns without affecting the sauce/curry.

TIP 2: It’s important to fry off powdered spices. There’s nothing worse than eating your beautiful dish and tasting powder! Spices and herbs should be cooked to ensure all their flavours are released. Adding water while cooking helps to cook off the powder taste.

TIP 3: I left my cinnamon stick in all the way through the cooking process. If you want to take it out after you fry the onions, go for it.

PREP: 20 minutes     COOK: 25-30 minutes    SERVES: 2

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1-2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
5cm cinnamon stick
2 medium onions, sliced
½ teaspoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 can (400mls) coconut cream
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon chilli flakes (not pictured)
150mls water
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
300grams (12-15) green prawns, deveined and de-shelled

METHOD:
In a food processor, blend the roughly chopped onion, with the water, into a paste. Set aside until needed.

On a medium heat, add the butter to a frypan until melted. Add in the cinnamon stick until the butter is fragrant – 2-3 minutes. Keeping the cinnamon stick in the butter add the sliced onions and fry for 10 minutes, until they turn a golden/brown colour.

Turn the heat to low and stir in the onion paste, the Garam Masala, tumeric and Kashmiri chilli powders and garlic frying for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the frypan. Add some water if needed throughout the next 5 minutes while cooking off the spices to release their flavours. Add the ginger and some more water to keep the paste from thickening.

Pour in the coconut cream with the salt, sugar, chilli flakes and water, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Taste the curry and add pepper to your taste.

Add the prawns in and when they turn pink/orange colour, they’re ready to serve.

Serve with Basmati rice and a lovely glass of white Sauvignon Blanc 😉