Prawn Masala can be made easier with a single spice blend; here’s how!
Prawn Masala is the kind of dish you’ll find in most Indian households, and especially at almost all Indian, or Indian-themed, parties. It involves cooking the prawns till they are nice and tender in an aromatic spice blend.
The spice blend
The spice blend I have used here is my very own homemade Briyani Masala. I find Briyani Masala to be very versatile in flavouring dry curries such as these. You can use the Baba’s Briyani Masala for this dish, it tastes great and is a less arduous than grinding up your own masala mix for this!
If you’re not a fan of any brand of briyani spices, then you can use a combination of turmeric, coriander and cumin powders. For heat, add chilli powder. However, if you’re adding Kashmiri Chilli Powder, then you can expect a bright red hue but with none of the fiery heat you get from regular chilli powder. Another addition could be Garam Masala, which has a bevvy of spices in it as well. However, do note that the addition of other spices will alter the final taste of this dish.
Prawns, or shrimp? Click here to find the difference!
Prawns
I am a huge fan of frozen, peeled prawns. Hence, this dish uses just that. Having said this though, there is a market near my new place, where I can fresh prawns at reasonable prices. So I have been buying fresh prawns and going through the whole process of deshelling and deveining them, then freezing them in batches. Fresh prawns can also be sustained in the chiller section of your refrigerator if you’re going to cook with them in a few days. Peeling the prawns can be quite therapeutic, I now admit.
Easy Prawn Masala Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutesPrawn Masala can be made easier with a single spice blend; here’s how!
You’ll need;
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Cardamom Pods
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Cloves
1 Star Anise
½ Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Onion, peeled and sliced
1 Stalk Curry Leaves, leaves removed
2 – 3 Chilli Padis, sliced
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced
2 Small Tomatoes, diced
3 Tbsp Briyani Masala Powder
Salt to Taste
250 g Prawns, peeled and deveined
You’ll need to;
- In a medium skillet over medium flame, add the vegetable oil. To this, add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Temper for a few seconds in the hot oil, before adding the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds start popping, add the sliced onion and curry leaves. Saute until the onion slices become soft; add the chilli and garlic, followed by the tomatoes and masala powder. Fry till ingredients are combined, then clamp on a lid and leave it to cook for 5 mins.
- Then, remove the lid and add salt and prawns. Cook everything together until prawns are cooked through, about 5 to 7 mins. Taste for seasoning, then serve warm with roti or rice.