Hot and spicy coconut prawns

  • Portion size: Serves 4
  • Hands-on time 20 min, simmering time 15 min
  • Difficulty: easy

”I’m warning you – this is a hot one! But, of course, you can reduce the quantity of chillies to suit your taste. The fresh prawns and big pieces of coconut are a match made in heaven. Curry leaves and fennel seeds also help give this dish a unique flavour. Perhaps best of all, it comes together in minutes, making this a great quick-meal option. Serve it with plain rice or pilau.” – Chetna Makan

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Ingredients

  • 12 sustainable raw king prawns, shelled and deveined (tails intact)

For the dry rub

  • 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  •  ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp crushed fennel seeds

For the masala

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 10 fresh curry leaves (see Know-how)
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 small green chillies, thinly sliced
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 100g fresh coconut, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp salt
  •  ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder (see Know-how on p103)
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Method

  1. Put the prawns in a bowl with all the dry rub ingredients and coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl and leave to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes while you prepare the masala (see Make Ahead).
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves and the mustard and fennel seeds, then let them sizzle for a few seconds. Stir in the green chillies and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.
  3. Add the coconut to the saucepan with 150ml boiling water. Stir well, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes until the coconut has softened slightly.
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  5. Add the salt, spices and prawns (with their rub) to the pan, then mix gently. Increase the heat to high and cook for 5-6 minutes until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

  • 217kcals Calories
  • 13.4g (8.4g saturated) Fat
  • 13.7g Protein
  • 7.6g (5.6g sugars) Carbs
  • 5.6g Fibre
  • 1g Salt

Make Ahead

Marinate the prawns up to 2 hours in advance and keep covered in the fridge.

Cook smarter

Fresh curry leaves are available from some Asian grocers and they freeze well. Use double the quantity of dried if you can’t find fresh.

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