Origin: India

Ingredients:

1. Prawns – 500 grams
2. Yoghurt – 2 tablespoon
3. Garlic – 8 cloves
4. Lemon – 1 small
5. Tamarind – 2 teaspoon
6. Curry Leaves – 16 leaves
7. Ghee – 3 tablespoon
8. Dried Red Chillies – 6 medium
9. Black Pepper – 8 whole
10. Mustard Seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
11. Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
12. Coriander Seeds – 1 teaspoon
13. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
14. Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
15. Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
16. Salt – 1 teaspoon

Recipe:

1. Deshell and devein the prawns and wash them under running water.
2. Drain the excess water and pat the prawns dry.
3. In a small bowl, soak the tamarind in warm water for an hour.
4. Add yoghurt, turmeric and chilli powder to a bowl and marinate the prawns for thirty minutes.
5. Toast the dried chillies, black pepper, mustard, cumin and coriander seeds over high heat till it imparts dense aroma.
6. Add the toasted spices to a grinder and grind to a coarse powder mix.
7. Peel and add the garlic and the soaked tamarind to the coarse mix and grind it to a paste.
8. Add ghee to a frying pan and let it smoke on medium heat.
9. Add the marinated prawns and sauté till the prawns start releasing water.
10. Add the garlic and spice paste and sauté till the ingredients lose their raw edge.
11. Once the prawns are thoroughly coated with the spice mix, add a little water and cook the prawns through.
12. Adjust seasoning as per choice and add a little sugar to reduce the pungency from the spices.
13. Once the mix turns dry again, add a dash of lemon juice and fold in the fresh curry leaves.
14. Transfer the contents into a bowl and serve with warm rotis or parathas, or even rice.

Extras:

1. For the spice mix, also called Kundapur mix, the dried red chillies can be of one kind or a mix of different kinds like Kashmiri, Guntur etc.
2. To avoid wastage, add water to the marinade mix and add it to the pan instead of fresh water.