Ashish S. Joshi
The months of July and August bring back for me the memories of Indian Monsoon: the heavy rains, the wet coolness of earth after months of scorching hot summer, the fragrance of Frangipani, and a succulent dish of spicy prawn curry with piping hot steamed rice. A spicy prawn curry is just the right thing for the Indian Monsoon. As the Monsoon advances, the streets turn into canals, road and public transportation comes to a standstill, and before the “Zoom” era, schools, colleges, and work places had no choice but to show an “understanding” that their denizens could not possibly venture out in torrential rains to show up for study or work. As such, the only thing one could do was stay home, watch the downpour sitting on a balcony or through a window, sipping on a cup of hot chai, and await a lunch of prawn curry and rice.
The names “shrimp” and “prawn” are used interchangeably, and these crustaceans have a lot in common — they both have 10 legs and exoskeletons; they both live near the floor of the body of water they inhabit; and their outer appearance when cooked is similar. However, these folks are different from each other and it is the prawn that one usually finds in menus in restaurants and “hotels” (as eating establishments are called) across India. Here, in the US, it is not common to find prawns, and one must make do with his humbler cousin, the shrimp. Below is a recipe that I love to make during the rainy weekend afternoons.
Spicy Prawn Curry
Ingredients
Jumbo Shrimp (about 12 oz/16-20 pieces; preferably raw/fresh and tail-on)
2 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 green serrano chili, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of ginger, diced; few matchsticks of ginger for garnish
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup of grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
1/4 teaspoon of black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon of tamarind extract
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
4-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
3 tbsp ghee
Directions
Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and swirl around the pan. When ghee is hot, add the peppercorns and onions and fry them until the onions are browned but not burnt. Add ginger, garlic, chili, and fry the mixture for about 30 seconds.
Add grated coconut and fry the mixture for 1-2 minutes more. Switch the heat off and add coriander leaves (save some for garnish), mix, and leave the mixture to cool.
Once the mixture has cooled, blend the mixture in a food blender. Add a tbsp or two of water if required to make a smooth paste. Rub the mixture all over shrimp, and let the shrimp marinate for an hour or two in the refrigerator.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a skillet, add mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter, carefully add curry leaves to the skillet. Lower the heat and add the spice powders and fry for 10 seconds, taking care not to burn the spices (add a tbsp of water if necessary).
Add the marinated shrimp to skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Add salt and fry the shrimp mixture, mixing it well.
After a few minutes, as the shrimp turns pink, add the tamarind extract and fry for 30-50 seconds more or until the shrimp are fully cooked. Add freshly chopped coriander and ginger for garnish.
Serve the “prawn” fry with steamed rice, or if you prefer, egg noodles. Enjoy a siesta post lunch.
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Ashish Joshi is the owner and managing partner of the Ann Arbor firm Joshi, attorneys + counselors. He serves as the lead counsel in high-stakes, complex disputes and litigation matters.
The names “shrimp” and “prawn” are used interchangeably, and these crustaceans have a lot in common — they both have 10 legs and exoskeletons; they both live near the floor of the body of water they inhabit; and their outer appearance when cooked is similar. However, these folks are different from each other and it is the prawn that one usually finds in menus in restaurants and “hotels” (as eating establishments are called) across India. Here, in the US, it is not common to find prawns, and one must make do with his humbler cousin, the shrimp. Below is a recipe that I love to make during the rainy weekend afternoons.
Spicy Prawn Curry
Ingredients
Jumbo Shrimp (about 12 oz/16-20 pieces; preferably raw/fresh and tail-on)
2 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 green serrano chili, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of ginger, diced; few matchsticks of ginger for garnish
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup of grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
1/4 teaspoon of black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon of tamarind extract
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
4-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
3 tbsp ghee
Directions
Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and swirl around the pan. When ghee is hot, add the peppercorns and onions and fry them until the onions are browned but not burnt. Add ginger, garlic, chili, and fry the mixture for about 30 seconds.
Add grated coconut and fry the mixture for 1-2 minutes more. Switch the heat off and add coriander leaves (save some for garnish), mix, and leave the mixture to cool.
Once the mixture has cooled, blend the mixture in a food blender. Add a tbsp or two of water if required to make a smooth paste. Rub the mixture all over shrimp, and let the shrimp marinate for an hour or two in the refrigerator.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a skillet, add mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter, carefully add curry leaves to the skillet. Lower the heat and add the spice powders and fry for 10 seconds, taking care not to burn the spices (add a tbsp of water if necessary).
Add the marinated shrimp to skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Add salt and fry the shrimp mixture, mixing it well.
After a few minutes, as the shrimp turns pink, add the tamarind extract and fry for 30-50 seconds more or until the shrimp are fully cooked. Add freshly chopped coriander and ginger for garnish.
Serve the “prawn” fry with steamed rice, or if you prefer, egg noodles. Enjoy a siesta post lunch.
—————
Ashish Joshi is the owner and managing partner of the Ann Arbor firm Joshi, attorneys + counselors. He serves as the lead counsel in high-stakes, complex disputes and litigation matters.
