Chingri macher malaikari (jumbo shrimp in a thick coconut curry)

The ultimate dish on any Bengali menu, this is usually made for special occasions, such as weddings and dinner feasts. The size of the shrimp is often the topic of conversation at the table. In Kolkata, going early in the morning to the fish market and haggling with the fish seller is all part of the fun. This can be made with all sizes of shrimp but for entertaining I would use jumbo shrimp (medium/large prawns).

SERVES 6 | PREP 10 MINS PLUS MARINATING COOK 20 MINS | EASY |

LC GF

1kg jumbo shrimp (medium/large prawns), deveined and heads removed

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tsp ghee

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

2 onions, blitzed in a blender to a semi-coarse paste

1 tsp sugar

2cm piece of ginger, grated

2 tbsp greek yogurt

400ml tin coconut milk (use one with a high coconut content, above 75%), well shaken

1 tbsp coconut cream

1 tsp Bengali garam masala (see note, below right) steamed basmati rice to serve

1 Combine the shrimp, turmeric and 1 tsp of salt in a bowl, and mix well to coat. Leave to marinate for 20 mins. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2 mins until they change colour slightly but are not fully cooked through. Immediately remove to a bowl and set aside.

2 Heat the remaining tbsp of oil along with 1 tsp of the ghee in the same pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves. Cook until fragrant, then add the onion paste and cook for 2 mins, stirring continuously. Mix in

1 tsp of salt along with the sugar, then add the ginger and cook for 1 min. Stir through the yogurt and cook for another minute. Add the coconut milk and coconut cream, stirring well to ensure there are no lumps. Check the consistency – if you prefer a thinner sauce, add 4 tbsp of water (generally the coconut sauce is delicately flavoured but quite thick). When the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat very slightly and add the shrimp. Stir well and cook for 4-5 mins or until the shrimp are cooked through.

3 Finally, sprinkle in the garam masala and add the remaining tsp of ghee to the middle of the pan (do not stir). Remove from the heat, cover the pan and leave to rest for 5 mins before serving. Just before serving, gently mix in the garam masala and melted ghee. Serve with steamed basmati rice.

PER SERVING 303 kcals | fat 20.8G saturates 13.7G | carbs 7.7G | sugars 5.7G fibre 1.4G | protein 20.6G | salt 3.5G

“To make Bengali garam asala, crush 2 ci amon ticks, e ds of 6 cardamom pods and 6 cloves i a pese and ortar”