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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Goan Fish Curry

Original version, minus okra

This was my first go at a) a Goan curry and b) a fish curry.  I'd say it was - for me - around 85% successful, however for my son & hubby, 95% successful.

For me, it was a little one-dimensional.  The original recipe didn't contain any lemon juice or okra and even with the tamarind paste, I felt it just needed that sharpness that lemon juice brings.  I had dithered and dathered over whether to include okra or not and was dubious about the texture of okra combined with the fish.  However, having sampled the original version, I'd definitely include okra in the mk. 2 version.

I used cod in the original version and again, I'd change that to haddock when I try it again.  The flavoursome sauce did a very good job of wiping out the delicate flavour of the cod, so I feel that haddock would stand up to it a lot better.

I served ours with rice, although I can't help but think that with the addition of a carbohydrate-based vegetable to the curry - such as potato, or sweet potato - you could easily dispense with the rice and just go for Naan bread as an accompaniment.  Served from warmed bowls, with naan to dip and scoop with, would be ideal.

Goan fish curry - very good with a Cobra beer!

GOAN FISH CURRY  (serves 3-4)

Ingredients :

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

1 dried red chilli

olive oil

1 onion, halved and sliced

a small piece root ginger, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ tsp turmeric

400ml tin coconut milk

a handful of Okra, top & tailed, then diced

1 tsp tamarind paste 

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 green chillies, finely sliced

300g firm white fish cut into chunks

fresh coriander, to garnish

Method :

Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onion with a big pinch of salt until soft and golden.

Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and ground spices and fry for 1 minute.

Add the coconut, tamarind, lemon juice, okra and green chillies and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.