Goan prawn curry

OK I spoke too soon about posting a recipe everyday. The days just got incredibly busy with the long weekend and then a trip to Nottingham kinda messed up my 'post a recipe everyday' regime. I also didn't have enough recipes in my draft to post, that being another reason. 

We have been eating out or are being invited over to friends' places and so cooking at home has taken a back seat. I should also mention that pigging out on food has started showing on me which is a very bad sign, especially cos summer is fast approaching and there are no more jackets and sweaters to cover the bulges. 

I actually wanted to post a dessert recipe today since its been ages since I'd posted one here, but I cant seem to find any in my drafts. I haven't been baking or making anything sweet recently, just to go easy on the whole butter, egg intake and then the three times I tried making something cos I had guests over turned out to be big flops and I threw my hands up in the air and decided I had lost my mojo for baking.

Ro claims its cos I am distracted, and says watching 'Gossip Girl' while cooking will not make it any better. But I love watching something while cooking and my lap top is perched on my kitchen counter while I'm at it (which also explains the dal that was stuck under the keyboard). 

I also want to say a very special thank you to all my lovely blogger friends who wrote in with words of consolation. I am so glad I have a bunch of awesome friends out there in the blogosphere. Second...I won the aesthetics category in the DMBLGIT event and Im super kicked about it. All the entries were lovely and I am thoroughly honoured to be one among all the amazing photographs. Look forward to taking part again.

Coming to the recipe, Ro has been working from home the past couple of days and so lunching on left over stuff is no option. I am forced to make something for lunch and dinner and I'm exhausted. Goan prawn curry was one of those dishes which I whipped up in a jiffy and it just goes well with plain rice. It reminds me so much of our honeymoon days in Goa where one whole week we spent lounging around, eating, drinking and partying like there was no tomorrow. I had a Goan fish curry on one of the days, which was so yum, and tried to make the same, but with prawns. Recipe has been adapted from here

To grind:

Dry red chillies- 2

Cumin seeds- 3/4 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Prawns- 200 gms, cleaned and deveined

Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp

White vinegar- 3/4 tsp

Onion- 1 small, thinly sliced

Tomato- 1 small, thinly sliced

Coconut milk- 3/4th cup

Oil- 2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Grind together all the ingredients in the 'to grind' section to a fine powder. 

In another bowl mix the garlic paste, ginger paste, white vinegar and the spice powder mix to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the onions. Sauté till they become light brown in colour.

Add the spice paste and sauté for a few minutes, till they become nice and fragrant.

In goes the sliced tomatoes. Cook on medium heat till the oil starts resurfacing. Take your time here.

Once the mix becomes nice and mushy, add the prawns and mix well making sure the masala coats the prawns

Add the coconut milk and salt to taste. Give it a stir and bring to a boil.

Simmer for a few more minutes, make sure the prawn is cooked, check for salt and if everything's fine, take it off the heat and serve with some steaming hot rice.

Notes: You can replace prawns with any firm fish fillets

The original recipe asked for green chillies along with the tomato. I avoided that since our spice tolerance level is really low.

The curry tastes even better the next day I felt