Goan Prawn Curry

This is a really lovely and unusual Indian curry, at least I’ve rarely seen it on the menu at Indian restaurants in Ireland.  It’s very easy and quick, you just need to make a spice paste and fry it up with onions, then add coconut milk and prawns.

It would also work with any other fish, or red meat but chicken would probably be too bland.  It’s not a red-hot curry, but rather has a warm heat from the mustard seeds.

I got this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Foolproof Indian Cookery, one of the handiest cookbooks that I own.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 100 ml water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 onion, cut into slivers
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
• 500g frozen prawns

Instructions

1. Mix the cayenne, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon juice, water and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.  This paste can be made well in advance.
2. Put the oil into a large pan or wok, and when it’s hot, add in the mustard seeds.  They will start to pop after a few seconds; add in the onion and garlic.  Cook until they are golden brown, then stir in the spice paste and simmer for about 10 mins on a low heat.
3. Add the coconut milk and the prawns, raise the heat to medium, and simmer the sauce until the prawns and have cooked through (no longer glassy in the centre). Serve with rice and fresh coriander scattered over.