Prawn curry with Kodumpuli and coconut milk

I usually fry breaded prawns as an appetizer for sit down lunches and dinners but this time I cooked them in a curry with coconut milk.

The prawns or shrimps were cleaned and washed with the shells remaining just around the tail end. These were then marinated for an hour time and then cooked with traditional Kerala kodumpuli. Kodumpuli is a sun dried and smoked fruit that helps to add sourness to a dish and typically leaves it's strong, unique and tasteful flavour. This is very traditional to Kerala and rarely used outside the region. And then again, it is usually used only with fish or shrimp curry. We get our annual stock when we go back home each year as it grows in the backyard of my sister in law's home.  I like to cook this dish in  a clay pot as the various flavours blend well bringing out the aroma of all the spices. This dish is best served with hot steamed rice.

Ingredients

Large prawns or shrimp 500 grams

onion - 1 slices in long pieces

green chili - 4 cut in long slits

ginger and garlic - julienned 1 tbsp each

curry leaves - a few

Shallots - 2 

coconut milk - 100 ml

chili powder - 1 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder= 1/2 tsp

Kodumpuli - 5-6 pieces washed 

Salt - 1/2 tsp or add more 

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 1 cup( 200 ml)

Marinate the washed and cleaned prawns with the chili, turmeric, coriander powder ,one tbsp oil and salt in a clay pot or a large pan. After standing this for a half an hour 's time, add to this the curry leaves, onions, ginger, green chili, garlic and green chili. Mix and keep aside. In another pan, bring to a boil the Kodumpuli with the water. Pour this into the prawns and place the clay pot/pan on the stove on medium heat. The prawn will turn pink on cooking for 10 -15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and turn off the stove. Heat oil in another pan, fry shallots and curry leaves in 1 tbsp of oil and season the prawn dish with this. Serve with steamed rice.

Enjoy!