Kerala-style Prawns Mango Curry or Chemmeen Manga Curry

Preparation time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients 

400 gms prawns 

1 cup grated coconut 

1 ½ cup coconut milk 

2 tbsp coconut oil 

1 cup of raw mango (sliced) 

For the spice mix:

¼ tsp fenugreek 

1 ½ tbsp ginger (julienned)

4 to 5 green chillies (slit) 

¾ cup shallots (chopped) 

Salt as required 

2 sprigs of curry leaves 

½ tsp turmeric powder 

2 tsp of red chilli powder (Kashmiri or other less spicy chilli powder) 

For tempering: 

1 tbsp coconut oil 

¼ tsp mustard seeds 

2 shallots (chopped) 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

2 dried red chillies 

Method 

Step: 1 

Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil in either a pan, an earthen pot or Manchatti. Add fenugreek and sauté till it turns golden brown. 

Step: 2 

Julienne the ginger and add, sauté for a few seconds. Then add green chillies (slit), chopped shallots and a sprig of curry leaves. Continue sautéing until the shallots become slightly golden. Add a bit of salt to accelerate the sautéing.  

Step: 3 

Reduce the flame to low and add ½ a teaspoon turmeric powder, and two tablespoons of red chilli powder and sauté for a few seconds till the raw smell disappears. Ensure that the chilli powder doesn't get over fried or burnt. 

Step: 4 

Add the cleaned prawns and mix well with the spice mix. Sauté for a few minutes and add salt to taste. 

Step: 5 

Add the diluted the coconut milk with water to thin it out and then add it. Mix well. Cover and cook till the mixture starts boiling. 

Step: 6 

Add the chopped raw mango pieces. Cover and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes on a medium flame. Occasionally, lift the lid and stir so that the flavours are well incorporated and the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom. Check seasoning and add salt if required.

Step: 7 

In the meantime, grind the grated coconut to a smooth paste. 

Step: 8 

Add the ground coconut paste. Gently mix it and then allow to boil.

Step: 9 

Finally, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add in chopped shallots, dried red chillies and a few curry leaves and fry until the shallots turn golden brown. Pour it over the prawns curry. The traditional Chemmeen Manga Curry is ready to be served. 

Recipe courtesy: Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

What other recipes would you like featured? Tell us at food@gulfnews.com