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Chingri malaikari
Prawns in coconut milk curry
Chingri malaikari (চিংড়ি মালাইকারি) — Bengal's prawns simmered in spiced coconut milk
Big prawns in a pale, silky coconut gravy are what a Bengali family cooks for guests, for a new son-in-law at Jamai Sasthi, or for a wedding lunch. The dish is gently spiced, a little sweet, and leans on the head fat of the prawns for richness, so it tastes of the sea rather than of chilli. Serve it with steamed gobindobhog or basmati rice. Chef's tip: if you can find shell-on prawns with heads, leave the heads on; squeeze them into the gravy as you eat for the full flavour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the prawns
- 1 ⅓ lb large prawnsshell-on with heads, or 450 g peeled king prawns; deveined
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
For the gravy
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 green cardamom podslightly crushed
- 3 cloves
- 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick
- 1 onionlarge, blended to a paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 green chilliesslit
- ½ tsp garam masala
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅓ lb large prawns with ½ tsp ground turmeric and half the ½ tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry the prawns for about 1 minute per side, just until they turn pink outside, then lift them out; they will finish cooking in the gravy.
2 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tbsp ghee, 1 bay leaf, 3 green cardamom pods, 3 cloves and 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 4: Add the 1 onion paste and 1 tsp ginger paste and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and the paste turns light golden.
10 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 1 tsp ground cumin with a splash of water and cook for 1 minute.
1 minStep 6: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, add 1 tsp sugar, 3 green chillies and the remaining ½ tsp salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Do not let it boil hard or the coconut milk can split.
4 minStep 7: Return the prawns and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until they are pink and opaque all the way through and curled into a loose C. Common mistake: cooking them longer 'to be safe'; a tight O-shape means rubbery prawns.
5 minStep 8: Sprinkle with ½ tsp garam masala, cover and rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chingri malaikari take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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