Malabar Prawn Curry

The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent where some of the best fish dishes in the world come from. This prawn curry takes its inspiration from there and I have to say - it is absolutely delicious.

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients - most of them should be in your cupboards anyway (and if they're not, now is a good time to stock up!). Sweet with coconut, tangy with the tamarind hit of brown sauce, gently spiced with ginger and fresh green chillies and all rounded off with the fragrance of saffron and curry leaves. I served mine with a mound of rice for soaking up that gorgeous sauce but you could always scoop it up with flatbreads instead.

Malabar Prawn Curry

Serves 4

good pinch saffron

100ml milk

12 raw tiger prawns, shelled

1 tsp coconut oil 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp nigella seeds 

2 green chillies, sliced 

12 curry leaves 

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp medium curry powder 

2 tbsp garam masala

400g tin chopped tomatoes 

400g tin coconut milk 

2 tbsp brown sauce 

1 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry pan

sea salt freshly ground black pepper

rice, to serve

Soak the saffron in the milk in a small cup, for 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in a pinch of salt, then add the prawns and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick pan and fry the onion, ginger, garlic, nigella seeds, green chillies and curry leaves until golden brown. 

Combine all the powdered spices in a bowl with little water, then add to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, brown sauce and 100ml water, and cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 10 minutes, then simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Add the soy sauce and season to taste with black pepper.

Once the sauce is ready, tip in the prawns with the marinade and cook for around 5 minutes until they just turn pink. Put a mound of rice in two serving bowls and place the prawns on top. Spoon over the sauce then garnish with the toasted coconut.