Malabar Prawn Curry

Ingredients

• 600 g medium prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on if you like
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp turmeric powder, for marinating
• 1 tsp salt, divided between marinade and curry, plus more to taste
• 3 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder, for the masala
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, or the pulp from a lime-sized ball of tamarind soaked in warm water
• 400 ml canned coconut milk
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, to finish

Instructions

1. Pat the prawns dry and toss them with the lemon juice, 0.5 tsp turmeric and half of the salt. Leave them in the fridge while you prepare everything else.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and let them crackle for about 20 seconds; the fenugreek should turn light gold, not dark brown.
3. Add the curry leaves (stand back, they spit), then the sliced onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and golden at the edges.
4. Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook until the raw garlic smell disappears.
5. Lower the heat and add the chilli powder, coriander powder, 0.5 tsp turmeric and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes.
6. Cook the tomatoes, mashing them with the spoon, until they break down into a thick paste and the oil begins to separate at the sides.
7. Stir in the tamarind paste, coconut milk and water, plus the remaining salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly and tastes rounded, not sharp. Keep the heat low so the coconut milk does not split.
8. Add the prawns and spread them in a single layer. Simmer gently, stirring once or twice, until they turn pink and curl into loose C shapes.
9. Taste and adjust the salt or tamarind. Turn off the heat, cover, and rest for 5 minutes so the flavours settle. Scatter over the coriander and serve.

Tips

• Do not overcook the prawns. They are done when pink and just firm; tight, rubbery curls mean they have gone too far.
• Keep the curry at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in. A hard boil can make it split and look oily.
• Fenugreek seeds are bitter if burnt, so lift the pan off the heat briefly if the oil is too hot.
• The curry tastes even better after a short rest, so make the sauce ahead and add the prawns just before serving.