Prawns Pappas

Hers is the Recipe#7 from Mrs.K.M.Mathew recipe series.
Though i love all the fresh veggies and fruits i get here in my new place, i do really miss those fresh seafood here. None of the food/hypermarts have fresh sea food like Pomfret, sardine etc etc... The fish found here in stores are Salmon, Hallibut, Rock fish and some Prawns. So I chose to go with Prawns pappas from the cook book. And luckily i was able to get cocum (kudam puli) from the Indian store here.So after getting prawns and cocum yesterday evening, did a late night prawns pappas cooking. And we liked the Prawns pappas and rice combo as dinner yesterday. Prawns pappas is a dish in which prawns comes with tangy spicy coconut milk gravy. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Prawns - 1/2Kg
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Coriander powder - 1 tbs
5. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Shallots/button onion - 4
9. Oil - 1/4 cup
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp
12. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
13. Ginger, julienned - 1 tsp
14. Garlic, chopped - 12 cloves
15. Green chillies, slit - 3
16. Curry leaves - few , 8-10
17. Cocum, washed and soaked in water - 4
18. Coconut milk thin - 2 cups
19. Coconut milk thick - 1 cup

Method:

1. Shell and devein the prawns 
2. Cook it in water with salt and keep aside. According to the cook book, prawns must be cooked till all water dries up. For me even after prawns were cooked well there was left over water. It could be due to difference in prawns
3. Grind ingredients from 4 to 8 into a paste
4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds
5. Add ingredients 11 to 16 and fry till onion is golden brown
6. Add masala paste and fry it till it gives masala aroma
7. Add cocum and fry again
8. Add thin coconut milk and bring to simmering hot
9. Add cooked prawns to it and add salt too
10. Cover and cook till gravy thickens
11. Add thick coconut milk and cook for few more minutes and serve hot!

Note:

• It is good to reduce the amount of oil when cooking to 2tbs
• Also i find it is good to reduce coconut milk to 1 cup thin milk and 1/2 cup thick milk