Pan fried masala prawns

Our everyday food is easy to make, fuss free vegetarian food, with some special and elaborate dishes thrown in for the weekend meals. I gave up eating meat many years back and do prefer vegetarian, but there are occasions when I give in to my cravings for sea food.



This is something Ma made for me last week. A really simple recipe that tastes absolutely delicious, with the ingredients that are used in our everyday cooking. In Mangalorean Konkani cuisine, this masala is a pretty standard one. It is a nice balance of heat, tanginess and the flavour of garlic.



This makes for a lip-smacking appetizer. Serve it with a sprinkle of lemon juice and some onion slices.

Pan fried masala prawns

What you need -

25-30 prawns (shelled, deveined and cleaned)
8-10 red chillies (ideally byadgi for its colour)
6-8 cloves of peeled garlic
small ball of tamarind / 1 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

What you do with it -

Clean the prawns well once it has been shelled and deveined
Apply turmeric powder and salt on the prawns and set aside for at least 10 mins
Grind the tamarind, red chillies and garlic to a smooth paste, adding a tsp or two of water (keep the water to a minimum)
Mix this with the prawns well and allow to marinate in a sealed box in the refrigerator for at least an hour
Heat a shallow pan and add about 3 tbsp of oil
Pour out the semolina and rice flour in a flat plate and combine
Dip each of the prawns in this semolina-flour mix, so that its coated well
Once the oil is hot, place the 3-4 prawns in it, and fry on a low flame for 2 mins
Turn over and allow it to crisp on the other side as well
Take it off the heat and drain on an absorbent paper
Sprinkle some lemon juice over it and serve hot with onions slices