Serves 4 as a main dish
Madras is the go-to choice for heat fans and it’s fitting that shellfish is used for a dish that is named after a coastal city. South India’s hot, sweltering city Madras (now called Chennai) offers a great heat kick without going too crazy. Heat lovers would say it dishes up the perfect balance of spice and heat – just add Base Curry Sauce plus a little onion and tomato.
What you need…
• small knob of butter
• 800g prawns, shelled and deveined
• 2 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 0.5 onion sliced
• 1 tomato, cut into segments
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• salt to taste
Spice Mix 2
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon peppercorns
How to make it…
1. Heat the butter to a medium heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Add the prawns to the butter and stir fry until they are pink. This should take about 2 minutes. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat the ghee to a high heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix 1 with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
4. Add the Spice Mix 2 to the ghee and fry for 15 seconds. The spices should sizzle immediately when you add them to the ghee. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding one cumin seed.
5. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat. You may have to remove the pan from the heat for a while to the paste burning. (If it burns then throw it away and start again.)
6. Add the Spice Mix 2 paste and cook for two minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
7. Add the Base Curry Sauce and tomato ketchup and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add the garam masala, salt, mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
9. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Add the onion and tomato and continue cooking until the prawns are cooked.
The onion and tomato segments should be cooked just enough that they are soft but still intact.
If you like this you should try our…
My friend fell sick in the curry house the other night. Luckily the owner let him rest on his nice soft Madras.
Prawn Vindaloo • Chicken Phall • Prawn Rogan • Prawn Dopiaza • Medium Prawn Curry • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Tikka Masala
4 thoughts on “How to cook… Prawn Madras”