Chettinad prawn masala | Chettinad style prawn recipe
Chettinad prawn masala, an easy to make 20mins recipe prepared with a freshly ground aromatic spice mix.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 200 g prawns
To marinate:
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
For masala powder:
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
Other ingredients:
- 3 tbsp gingelly oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 red chillies
- 2 big onions (medium size)
- 1 curry leaves
- ¾ tsp gg paste
- 2 large tomatoes
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- Salt (as per taste)
- Water (approx. 1 cup)
- Coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparation:
- Devein the prawns and wash them properly.
- Drain the water completely and marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt.
- Keep the marination for one hour.
How to make the Chettinad special masala powder:
- Heat a flat pan and add all the whole spices, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
- Dry roast all the spices for few minutes until aromatic and switch off.
- Allow them to cool down and grind into a fine powder.
- Our Chettinad special masala is ready.
Recipe:
- Heat some gingelly oil in a pan, add bay leaf and fennel seeds for seasoning.
- Let the fennel seeds splutter, add red chillies and chopped onions.
- Saute onions very well to get a nice browned effect.
- Also, add curry leaves a handful for the traditional flavor.
- Now add ginger garlic paste and saute well to remove the raw smell of garlic.
- Cook ginger garlic with onions for two minutes on high and add tomatoes. You can also use minced/fine chopped ginger and garlic pieces too.
- Saute the tomatoes well for few minutes until they become soft and mushy.
- Some chilli powder and coriander powder.
- Add some water to cook the masala powders. Note that prawns also release some water while cooking.
- Now add the marinated prawns and mix with the masala.
- Add salt and the freshly prepared Chettinad masala powder.
- Pour some water, cover with a lid and cook the prawns for only five minutes.
- If your prawns are uncut/large then allow them to cook for a few more minutes.
- Prawns turn white in color when cooked.
- If you want a gravy consistency switch off at this point.
- And for dry prawn masala, let cook uncovered for few more minutes to get desired consistency.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamy rice along with sambar/rasam rice.
Video
Notes
Tips:
1) First of all, don't overcook prawns as they may turn rubbery instead of soft in texture.
2) Further, you can use red chillies and coriander seeds(roast&grind along)while making the special masala powder. In that case, skip or reduce chilli powder usage. Note we also add whole red chillies and peppercorns also for spice. Since I have freshly ground powders I used in this way.
3) Moreover, gingelly oil gives a good flavor to the masala. You can also use coconut oil if you wish.
4) Finally, use small onions (shallots) if you have to get traditional touch and taste.
1) First of all, don't overcook prawns as they may turn rubbery instead of soft in texture.
2) Further, you can use red chillies and coriander seeds(roast&grind along)while making the special masala powder. In that case, skip or reduce chilli powder usage. Note we also add whole red chillies and peppercorns also for spice. Since I have freshly ground powders I used in this way.
3) Moreover, gingelly oil gives a good flavor to the masala. You can also use coconut oil if you wish.
4) Finally, use small onions (shallots) if you have to get traditional touch and taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal
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