KING PRAWN CURRY WITH TOMATO AND CHILLI

A sumptuous and spicy dinner. “prawns are plentiful in Bangladesh and have always been enjoyed there. this dish is quite spicy, but you can reduce the number of green chillies to your taste, of course. It is very important to cook the sauce down well before you add the prawns as you don’t want them to overcook and become rubbery. this curry can be made with any size of prawn; tiger prawns work very well. But my particular weakness is for very large king prawns, which is what I look for when I make this dish, and I buy them without the heads attached. Don’t forget to clean and de-vein the prawns before you cook them.”

Serves 4 Ingredients:

2tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped into 1cm dice 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1tsp chilli powder 1tsp ground cumin 1tsp ground coriander 1/2tsp ground turmeric 1/2tsp salt 2tbsp ginger paste 200g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped 1tsp sugar 4 fresh green chillies, cut in half lengthwise 600g large king prawns, peeled and de-veined (defrosted weight) 3tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

» 1. Place a large frying pan, skillet or wok onto a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and when it is hot, add the chopped onion. Fry, stirring regularly, for around 10 minutes until the onion is a deep golden-brown colour. Then add the sliced garlic and fry for a further two minutes. » 2. Now add the ground spices, salt and ginger paste. Add a small amount of water (120ml) and stir everything together. Once the water has mostly evaporated and there is a sheen of oil on top of the pan, you can add the chopped tomatoes, sugar and fresh chillies. » 3. Stir everything together really well and allow to come up to a gentle simmer. Then cover the pan and allow the sauce to simmer for around 10 minutes. » 4. The next step is to add the prawns, which should be cleaned and ready to cook. (If you are using frozen prawns, make sure they are thoroughly defrosted before you start to cook.) The sauce at this stage should have thickened slightly. Add the prawns to the pan and stir well to coat them in the spiced tomato sauce. Cover the pan again and let them cook for around five minutes. If the pan is not simmering well, you may need to increase the heat slightly. » 5. After five minutes, uncover the pan and turn the prawns. Add in half the chopped fresh coriander and stir well and then cook, uncovered, for a further two to three minutes, or as long as it takes until the prawns are completely cooked, firm to the touch and opaque all the way through. The sauce should be quite thick and cling to the prawns. » 6. Finally, garnish with the remaining fresh coriander and some extra green chillies if wanted. This curry is delicious with plain steamed rice or with freshly made luchi (puffy, deep-fried Bengali bread).