Malabar prawn curry

The coconut, curry leaves and kokum used here are all flavours characteristic of Kerala.

Ingredients

• 3cm piece of ginger
• 2 small red onions
• 150 g ripe tomatoes
• vegetable or coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 12 fresh or dried curry leaves
• 1 tesapoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablepoon kokum or 20ml tamarind pulp
• 12 peeled king prawns , from sustainable sources
• 1 x 400 ml tin of reduced fat coconut milk
• 2 dried red chillies

Directions

1. Peel and finely chop the ginger and onions. Chop the tomatoes.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, and when it’s almost smoking, add half the mustard seeds, the fenugreek, ginger and half the curry leaves.
3. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the onion and cook over a medium heat until it’s dark golden.
4. Add the chilli powder, coriander and turmeric, and stir for a few seconds. Add the tomato and kokum or tamarind. Simmer until slightly reduced and you can start to see oil separating from the sauce.
5. Add a few tablespoons of water to get the sauce back to the consistency it was before, season with sea salt and add the prawns. Simmer until the prawns are cooked and the sauce is quite dry.
6. Add the coconut milk, bring back to boil and turn the heat down to low.
7. In another pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, the chillies and remaining mustard seeds and curry leaves. Fry for 10 seconds or so, then tip into the curry. Serve with steamed rice.