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Prawn Malai Curry

Serves 4
35 mins
350 Kcal
Prawn Malai Curry, a coast-of-India-rich, aromatic concoction from Bengal's coastal regions, is this enormously delicious and creamy coconut milk-base curry of succulent prawns slow-cooked and flavoured with a musical mix of spices that flow in every bite to awaken the senses. Perhaps the pride of this Prawn Malai Curry lies in the cleaned and deveined prawns that assure tenderness. A few minutes of marinating is quite common with the marinade comprising turmeric and salt, elevating the natural flavour of the ingredient while also infusing a bright colour to the curry. Start cooking with a pan-frying of onions and ginger-garlic paste in oil or ghee when they turn golden brown and have released an overwhelming aroma. The incorporation of spices such as cumin, coriander, and a subtle nuance of green chillies makes this dish more textured and also warm. Upon having well-blended spices, coconut milk is added to it, and what follows is a luscious and creamy sauce embracing all the prawns. Then again, coconut milk's richness strikes a good balance with the spices and thus turns out to be a comforting and indulgent meal. Prawn Malai Curry is generally topped with fresh cilantro and served along with fluffy basmati rice or flaky parathas to the dripping creamy sauce. This dish is favoured by seafood lovers with the combination of tender prawns, fragrant spices, and the smooth texture of coconut milk. Whether it is a festive get-together or a family dinner, the Prawn Malai Curry recipe best depicts coastal Indian cuisine and rightly so, with the perfect balance of flavours and textures. Even as it attracts the palate, it also feasts the eyes on the dinner table, brightened and fragrant with colours.

Ingredients required for Prawn Malai Curry

  1. 1 tbsp ghee
  2. 1 tsp turmeric powder
  3. 1 tsp cumin seeds
  4. 2 tbsp mustard oil
  5. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  6. Salt
  7. 1 onion
  8. 1 tsp red chilli powder
  9. 1 tsp garam masala
  10. Coriander leaves
  11. 200 ml coconut milk

Cooking steps for Prawn Malai Curry

  1. 1
    To start with the recipe of Prawn Malai Curry requires cleaning and deveining 500 gms of prawns. The tail portions should be preserved both for presentation and flavour. Deveining is an important step because it eliminates the digestive tract; therefore, the prawns become clean and cook-ready. After the cleaning process, marinate the prawns with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and half a teaspoon of salt. Turmeric gives a subtle earthiness while turning the prawns a gorgeous golden colour.
  2. 2
    Let the prawns marinate for 15 minutes. This tenderises them and allows the flavours to soak in.
  3. 3
    Heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Mustard oil lends that authentic, coastal flavour, with the sharp, pungent taste working perfectly with seafood.
  4. 4
    Once the oil is hot but not smoking add in the marinated prawns. Fry for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and just slightly cooked. Be careful that you don't overcook them as they will finish in the curry.
  5. 5
    Remove the prawns and place them on a plate and set aside.
  6. 6
    Once prawns have been taken out, turn the heat down a little, add 1 Tsp of ghee to the pan, and let it melt. Melted butter is ghee that contributes its rich, buttery flavour to the curry and completes this curry's flavour profile with coconut milk, used a little later in this recipe. As ghee melts, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the pan and let them splutter in it. The fragrant oils released from cumin seeds form the basis for this curry.
  7. 7
    Add 1 finely chopped onion to the pan. Stir fry until it becomes golden brown, which will take approximately 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally so it does not burn. Once the onion is golden, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for another 2 minutes until the raw smell is removed. Ginger and garlic enable a deeper flavour, a warm aromatic base of the curry.
  8. 8
    Add 1 chopped tomato along with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder. There is a perfect balance of heat, colour, and earthy tones. Allow this to cook over the onion mixture until the tomatoes are soft, and spices have mixed well in the onion mixture into the masala paste. It is a basic step because, at this point, it forms the base of the flavours of the curry.
  9. 9
    When the tomatoes and spices are soft add 200 ml of thick coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Coconut milk is the magic ingredient here in Prawn Malai Curry; it gives the curry a rich creamy texture and mild sweetness. Stir well and let come to a soft boil so that all the ingredients mix well.
  10. 10
    Let it simmer for a couple of minutes with the coconut milk so that the flavours mix well.
  11. 11
    When the coconut milk mixture finally boils, reduce the heat a bit and add the fried prawns. Let them be entirely covered in the gravy. Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes or so until it's cooked and the gravy is thick and rich, too.
  12. 12
    Once the prawns are cooked, taste and salt the curry accordingly. Now garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves to add a burst of colour and fresh flavour. And finally serve the Prawn Malai Curry hot with steamed rice or roti, letting the coconut gravy be soaked in by the sides. This delicious curry, balanced with spices and coconut richness, makes for the perfect meal. Bon app tit on your home-made Prawn Malai Curry!

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