Spiced Coconut Prawns

I found this recipe in an Ainsley Harriott recipe book, “Ainsley’s Friends & Family Cookbook”, which I recently borrowed from the library on “Support your local library” day.

It interested me because it isn’t a curry as such, although it shares many of the curry spices.  Before I’d cooked it – and indeed afterwards – it reminded me of the Prawn Puri that you often get on a starters menu at an Indian Restaurant.

I have to say that, without the 2 tbsp of double cream that I added, it would have been entirely too acidic.  The cream just smoothed the flavours out and even though they are all big flavours that jump up and whap you around the taste buds, it made the difference.

Next time I make it, I will have to ensure that I cook the sauce for a lot longer and reduce it right down to seriously sticky.  As is often the way, when you introduce frozen prawns, they release so much water that it all became a little too fluid.

However, we live and learn – and it was definitely a different category of curry to our normal.  I served it with rice and chapatis, even though it was supposed to only be served with the chapatis.  I was glad I cooked some rice, as I felt it would have been hard work with just the chapatis.  Oh, and another point is that buying two packs of chapatis would be a tad on the expensive side – so we had just the one pack.  Next time, I’ll have to make a trip to Makkah’s and get the real thing for, I suspect, a lot less!

COCONUT & CUMIN SPICED PRAWNS

Ingredients : 3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
2.5cm fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp minced red chilli
4 tsp hot paprika
2 tbsp garam masala or korma curry paste
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp double cream
150ml hot water
200g can chopped tomatoes
450g cooked peeled prawns
50g creamed coconut, chopped
20g chopped coriander
salt & pepper

Method :
1.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and fry for 3-4 minutes until soft and very lightly browned.

2.  Add the paprika and garam masala and fry for 2 minutes.

3.  Then add the lemon juice and water and simmer for 2 minutes more.

4.  Add the tomatoes and prawns and simmer for 2 minutes.

5.  Stir in the creamed coconut and double cream and cook for a further minute.

Season to taste, stir in the coriander and serve with basmati rice and warmed chapatis.

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