South Indian prawn curry with lemon rice
A tangy, coconutty curry that's quick enough to whip up on a week night.
Ingredients
For the curry
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 25g/1oz fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 long green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 fresh ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 400g/14oz large raw tiger or king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 4 tbsp desiccated coconut
- small bunch fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
For the lemon rice
- 550g/1lb 4oz white basmati rice
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp urid dal (optional)
- ½ onion, very finely chopped
- 1 long green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 10g/1/3oz fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted peanuts, roasted
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted cashew nuts, roasted
- 1 lemon, juice and zest of ½
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the rice according to packet instructions. Strain and rinse with cold water then set aside to cool.
To make the curry, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so the spices don’t burn. Tip the tomatoes into the pan and stir in the tamarind paste, honey and 50ml/2fl oz cold water. Simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce has thickened, stirring regularly.
Stir in the coconut and prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
To make the rice, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan or wok over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, turmeric, asafoetida , and the urad dal, if using. Fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
Add the onion, chilli, ginger, curry leaves and nuts and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes until the onion has softened. Tip the rice into the pan and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until piping hot. Pour over the lemon juice and stir in the zest. Toss together and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Sprinkle the curry with coriander and serve with the rice.