Prawn / Chemmeen Biriyani

Ingredients ( Serves 3 - 4)

 

Marinade

1. Prawns - 30 - 35 ( Around 400 g)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - As required

For the masala

1. Onion - 1 large, thinly sliced
2. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
3. Fresh ginger-garlic paste - 2 - 3  tsp
4. Green chillies - 7 - 8, seeded
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 2tsp
8. Garam masala - 1.5 tsp
9. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
10. Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
11. Salt - To taste
12. Oil - As required

Method

1. Clean and wash the prawns. Marinate the prawns with the ingredients under marinade for at least 2 hrs in a refrigerator. Shallow fry the marinated prawns in oil until done. It won’t take more than 3 - 4 minutes on each side, at medium-low heat. Drain on to a paper towel.

 

 

2. In the same pan, add thinly sliced onions. Stir-fry until they turn light brown at medium heat. Now add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Stir fry for a few more minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir-fry for a few seconds and add the chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes get mashed up. Now add 1/2 cup water and mix well. Bring to a boil and add the fried prawns. Cook for a minute and add the chopped cilantro and mint. Taste check for salt. Switch off.

 

Cooking Rice

Basmati rice - 2 cups

    To cook rice I usually follow the draining method. Soak the basmati rice for around 30 mts. Drain and keep aside. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns- 10, cloves – 6, cardamoms - 2, bay leaves-2, cinnamon - 2, fennel seeds – half tsp, star anise- 2 and mace - 3). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency. It will take around 15 - 20 mts at medium heat.  Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

To Garnish

Onion - 1 medium, sliced very thin and deep fried in oil/ghee till brown

Cashews and raisins - 1/4 cup deep-fried in oil / ghee

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Mint - 1/2 cup

Layering

For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe.

Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, cilantro, cashews, raisins, mint leaves and prawn masala. Now add the cooked rice and repeat the process. You can sprinkle some fennel powder or biriyani masala and a little ghee on each layer. The topmost layer should be that of rice with the items under garnish.  Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 10 - 15 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are planning to keep it for long, cook the rice only till it is 95% done or so. If you are using stovetop keep it at low flame for around 5 - 10 mts. Serve hot with boiled eggs, biriyani chammanthi, raita, pappad and lemon pickle. This recipe serves around 3-4 people.

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi / Dried Prawns Chutney

 

 

  We Keralites make different kinds of chammanthi using different veggies, dry fish, prawns etc. I could never imagine a chammanthi with chena(yam), brinjal etc but recently I saw their recipes in one of Mrs. KM Mathew’s cookbooks.  Interesting, right?? I will share their recipes sometime soon. Btw I have never heard or tasted a chicken/meat chutney but I am pretty sure that someone might have the recipe. Please do share if you have it. Today we have the recipe for the mouth-watering unnakka chemmeen chammanthi which tastes great with kanji / plain rice. You can find dried prawns in any Asian store. Give this a try sometime. You will love it!!

Ingredients

1. Dried prawns / unnakka chemmeen - 1/2 cup
2. Grated coconut - 3/4 - 1 cup
3. Dry red chillies - 7 - 8
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Pearl Onions - 4 -5 
6. Tamarind - Small goose berry sized or to taste
7. Curry leaves - 10 - 12
8. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Remove head and tail of the dried prawns. Wash properly and pat dry. There is no need to wash them if they are already cleaned. Roast the dried prawns and dry red chillies together  in a pan until the prawns turn light brown and the dry red chillies turn slightly crispy. It would not take more than 5 - 10 minutes. Keep aside to cool.

 

2. Add the roasted dried prawns, dried red chillies, grated coconut, ginger, pearl onions, tamarind, curry leaves and salt in a blender. Grind well without adding any water. Scrape the sides of the jar in between. Adjust the salt and tamarind to suit your taste. Shape the ground mixture to a ball. Enjoy this chammanthi with plain rice/ rice porridge.

 

Prawn Fry - Two versions

Today we have two prawn recipes to share with you all. The first one is from Nitha’s Amateur Perceptions where the prawns are first fried and then mixed with sautéed onion, ginger-garlic paste etc. The second one is our version where the onion, g-g paste are sautéed first to which the marinated prawns are added and cooked. Both the dishes tasted awesome with rice and chapatis. Hope you will enjoy them as much as we did!! Thanks to Nitha for the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Prawns  -  1/4 - 1/2 kg or around 30 - 35 (I used jumbo prawns)
2. Onion -  1 medium sized, sliced thin
3. Ginger-garlic Paste -  2 tsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Chilly powder -   2 tsp or as required
6. Pepper powder -  1 tsp
7. Curry leaves -  3 sprigs
8. Coconut slices - 1-2 tbsp ( I didn’t use them)
9. Oil - 2 tbsp
10. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the prawns with the turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and salt, at least for 30 mts.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the marinated prawns. Stir fry them in oil until they are just cooked and drain on to a paper towel.

2. Add more oil in the pan, if required and add the thinly sliced coconut pieces. Fry until they are light brown in color. Now add the thinly sliced onions and curry leaves. Saute until the onions are light brown. Add the fried prawns, mix well and serve hot.

PRAWN FRY - VERSION 2

 

Ingredients

1. Prawns  - 1/4 -  1/2 kg or around 30 - 35
2. Onion -  2 medium sized, sliced
3. Ginger-garlic Paste -  3 tsp
4. Tomatoes - 2, pureed (De-seed them and blend in a mixer)
5. Curry leaves -  2-3 sprigs
6. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Fennel powder - 1 tsp
9. Oil - As required
10. Salt - To taste

Marinade

1. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
2. Pepper powder -  1 tsp
3. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
4. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
5. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the prawns using the ingredients under marinade.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add the sliced onion, little salt and ginger-garlic paste. Saute until the onions are slightly browned. Now add the tomato puree. Cook until the oil separates, then add the turmeric powder and chilly powder. Saute for a few seconds, then add the marinated prawns and curry leaves. Mix well. Cover and cook until the prawns are done, at medium-low heat. It wont take more than 10 - 15 mts.

3. Open the lid, add  1 tsp fennel powder and a few curry leaves. Stir fry for a few minutes at medium heat. Check for salt and pepper powder. Switch off.

Chemmeen/Prawn Theeyal

Ingredients

1. Prawns - 2 cup
2. Onion - 1 large cubed (You could also use 10 - 15 pearl onions instead of onion. That would be more tasty)
3. Coconut slices/thengakothu - 1/4 cup
4. Green chillies- 2 slit
5. Tomato - 2 small, cubed
6. Drumstick - 1
7. Grated coconut - Around 1.5 cup
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 3 - 3.5 tsp
10. Chilly powder - 2 - 2.5 tsp
11. Curry leaves -  2-3 sprigs
12. Kudam puli - 4 pieces or to taste
13. Salt - To taste
14. Coconut oil - As required

     To temper

1. Pearl onion - 5-6 or mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
2. Dry red chilli - 1 - 2 
3. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
4. Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Method

1. Clean and wash the prawns and set aside. Wash and soak the kudampuli in 1/4 cup warm water.

2. Heat a pan and dry roast the grated coconut until they turn reddish brown. Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and switch off the stove.  Grind to a fine paste when it cools down.

3. Heat oil in a deep pan or manchatti/claypot. Add chopped onion, little salt, coconut slices and saute until oil starts appearing on top.  Now add the ground coconut paste, kudampuli, green chillies and drumsticks. Saute for a minute and add the tomatoes. Mix well and add 1.5 cup water. Bring to a boil and add the prawns, curry leaves. Cover with a lid and cook until the prawns are done and the gravy is semi-thick. It takes around 20 - 25 mts. Check for salt and switch off.

 

 

4. Heat a tsp oil in another pan and add the chopped pearl onions and curry leaves. Brown the pearl onions and pour them over the prawn theeyal. Serve hot with rice.

 

 

 

Recipe Courtesy : Manju Jyotish

Mixed Noodles

 

Ingredients

1. Noodles - Around 200 gm (You can use any variety of noodles)
2. Chicken breast - one and half, cooked and sliced to strips
3. Shrimp - A handful (I used the frozen cooked ones)
4. Ginger - 1 tsp minced
5. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
6. Green and red bell pepper - 1/4 cup thinly sliced
7. Beans  - 6-7 beans sliced diagonally
8. Bean Sprouts - 1/4 cup
9. Carrot - 1/2 medium-sized sliced to strips
10. Cabbage - 1/4 cup sliced fine
11. Eggs - 2
12. Soy sauce - 2 tsp
13. Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp
14. Chilli sauce - 2 tsp
15. Vinegar - 1 tsp (I used balsamic vinegar)
16. Sugar - 2-3 pinches
17. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
18. Spring Onion - 1-2 chopped, to garnish
19. Vegetable Oil - 2 tsp
20. Salt - to taste 

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions. When cooked, pour them into a colander, put under cold running water for about 30 seconds and set aside to drain. Pour 1 tsp oil and toss gently to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other. You can cut them using scissors if you want.

2. In a wide pan, heat vegetable oil. Add the minced ginger and garlic, saute for a minute. Turn the knob to high heat, add the chopped beans, saute for around 30 seconds and add chopped carrots. Continue stir-frying and add the cabbage, bean sprouts and bell peppers. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. The veggies should not be over-cooked or else they may lose their color and crispness.

4. Now move all the veggies to the side and scramble the eggs adding a little pepper powder and salt. Mix it with the vegetables, add the cooked chicken and shrimp. Now toss in the cooked noodles, add soy sauce, chilli sauce, worcestshire sauce and  vinegar. Stir-fry until everything is well-mixed and the noodles are coated with all the sauces. Add more sauces until desired taste is achieved. Season with pepper, a little sugar, check for salt and switch off. Garnish with spring onions. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Prawn Korma

     This recipe is from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook. We have shared the recipe for extremely easy and delicious spicy prawn stir-fry from this book before. A few of my friends tried it and loved it too. This recipe for prawn korma is a bit different from the usual korma recipe but it is really easy to prepare and is tasty too. Hope that you all will enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1. Frozen King Prawns - Around 15 ( You can use raw prawns too. I have tried it with  frozen and raw prawns. Both tastes exactly the same)
2. Low fat yogurt - 3 tbsp
3. Ricotta cheese - 3 tbsp (I used 1 tsp parmesan cheese)
4. Ginger - 1 tsp grated
5. Garlic - 1 tsp crushed
6. Paprika - 1 tsp
7. Garam masala - 1 tsp
8. Tomato puree(paste) - 1 tbsp (I used canned tomato paste)
9. Coconut milk - 3 tbsp
10. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
11. Cinnamom stick - 1/2 inch
12. Green Cardamom pods - 2
13. Oil - 1 tbsp
14. Salt - To taste
15. Chopped fresh cilantro - 1 tbsp, to garnish

Method

1. Wash and drain the prawns.

2. Combine the yoghurt, cheese, paprika, garam masala, tomato paste, coconut milk, chilly powder and water in a bowl. Blend all the ingredients together well and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, cardamoms and fry over low heat. Now add the yoghurt mixture and increase the heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

4. Now add the prawns and continue to stir-fry until the prawns have heated through or until they are cooked(if they are raw) and the sauce is quite thick. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with chapatis.

 

 

Tips:

 

1. Paprika gives a good rich color to the curry without aadding extra heat.

 

2. Do not let the prawns overcook in the sauce or they will toughen.

Spicy Prawn Stir-fry

     This is a very easy and tasty recipe. I tried this recipe from a cookbook gifted by my husband’s friend Abhish. It has some interesting recipes which I am planning to try over time. Even though this shrimp recipe is mentioned as an appetizer in the cookbook, it can also be served along with chappathi/rice.

Recipe Source - Best Ever Indian Cookbook






Ingredients

King prawns (jumbo shrimp) - 25 -30 deshelled and deveined (I used the frozen cooked ones. It is equally tasty)

Fresh ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Seeds from 2 cardamom pods, crushed

Coconut milk - 1/4 cup

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped

Salt - To taste

Method

 

1.  Clean and rinse the prawns under cold running water, drain and pat dry.

2.  Mix the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, crushed cardamom seeds and salt in a bowl.  Marinate the prawns with this marinade.



 

3.  Heat oil in a pan.  Add the marinated prawns and stir-fry for a few minutes at medium heat.

 

4.  Stir in the coconut milk and saute for a few minutes until the prawns are cooked through. This will take only a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper powder. Garnish with chopped cilantro.