Mangalorean Prawns Ghee Roast
- 1 kilogram Prawns ((After cleaning))
- 1/2 cup Ghee
- Water ((For grinding and gravy))
- 1/2 cup Chicken stock ((Optional))
- 1/4 teaspoon Chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1-2 tablespoon Lime juice
- 30 grams Kashmiri red chillies ((Remove 3/4th of the seeds))
- 1 - 2 Guntur red chillies
- 1/4 teaspoon Black whole pepper
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 3/4 teaspoons Cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoons Aniseed
- 1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek
- 1 inch piece Ginger
- 8 pieces Garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 1-2 cup Prawns stock / water / chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Sugar / Jaggery syrup
- 1 handful Curry leaves
De-vein, wash and pat dry the prawns
Rub chilli powder, turmeric, salt and 1 teaspoon of lime juice. Keep aside for not more than 30 minutes.
Dry roast the spices until warm and it releases the oil and aroma. Grind with ginger, garlic and the remaining lime juice into a fine paste. Add water to grind to a smooth consistency if needed.
Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add 3 tbsp of ghee. Fry prawns on both sides. If it releases excess water. Drain the liquid and keep it aside. Lightly fry the prawns until it changes colour and keep it aside. It takes around 8-10 minutes.
In the same pan, add 2 tbsp of ghee and saute the ground ghee roast masala. Deglaze the pan several times with water or any liquid reserved. You can deglaze with homemade chicken stock too.
Cook the ghee roast masala paste until oil starts to leave the side of the pan.
Now add fried prawns and stir for 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add a tsp of sugar.
Garnish with any leaves.
Prawns - Med sized fresh water prawns are preferred. De-vein, wash, clean and pat dry the prawns before marinating.
Heavy bottom pan - Use a heavy bottom wide skillet to shallow fry the prawns.
Lime juice - Lime juice is added for sourness. Increase the amount according to the sourness required.
Ghee roast masala - Ground paste can be stored in a clean and dry jar for upto a week in the refrigerator.
Ghee roast paste - The paste must be ground down to a fine consistency.
Cooking the ghee roast masala paste - Sauteeing the ground paste in ghee until oil leaves the sides of the pan. Can take upto 10-15 minutes. Do not skip this step as this is the key step in this recipe. Deglaze with liquid upto 3-4 times during this process.
Ghee - A good amount of ghee is used in the recipe. Ghee imparts this dish its flavour.
Marinade - As the marinade includes lime juice, marinate for not more than 30 minutes. Marinating for longer time changes the texture of the prawns. In case of marinating for a long time, lime juice need not be added as it must be added only 30 minutes before frying.