KONKANI MASALA PRAWNS

Preparation Method :

• Peel the prawns and take off the heads, reserving them for a lovely prawn stock. Leave the tails intact.
• Make a shallow cut down the spine of the prawns and remove the veins and discard them. Wash the prawns under cold running water and drain thoroughly. Cover them and set aside.
• To make the masala paste, heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the masala paste ingredients and fry them on medium heat, till they release their natural oils and are aromatic.
• Once the ingredients are fried, turn off the heat and transfer the sizzling hot ingredients to a heavy grinder. Grind them to a semi-coarse, yellow-green paste. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the onion and saute on medium heat, till light golden with a nutty sweet aroma.
• Add the fresh masala paste to the pan and saute for a couple of minutes on high heat to fry well. Turn the heat down slightly and add the kokum extract and jaggery to the pan. Stir in gently to combine well.
• Bhuno this aromatic spice base repeatedly with water on high heat, till the base is perfectly homogenous and the oil begins to rise to the surface a clear sign that the spices are fully cooked.
• Add the prawns and season them well with salt. Toss the prawns in the sweet-sour masala to coat them in the gravy.
• Cover the pan and let the prawns cook in the steam for 4-5 minutes or till they are firm and opaque and have taken on the delicate lemon-yellow colour of the masala.
• Uncover the pan and turn up the heat to reduce the thick masala.
• Turn off the heat and squeeze in the lime juice. Sprinkle the coriander leaves.