Chingri malakari is a signature dish of Bengal. This Bengali style Prawn curry is sautéed with delicate spices and cooked in coconut milk.
Just like how you will always find a Basanti Pulao in a Bengali celebration the “biye barir” (wedding ceremony) menu is incomplete without Chingri malaikari. We Bengalis have this Epar Bangla Opar Bangla culture – which essentially is the different cultures are traditions of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal. There’s always a big debate between ghoti and bangaal – who is better. I am a Bangaal – my ancestors were Zamindars in Dhaka (this is even before 1947). So our family traditions and food obviously have the Bangaal touch.
If you ever come across a Bangaal and Ghoti chatting, the debate of Illish maach and chingri maach is unmissable!
But you know, yours truly is obsessed with food – so while enjoying the Bangaal delicacies we love the best of West Bengal food. So I love my Chingris and postos. But I completely stay away from the gota sheddhos and boiled food that is very famous among ghotis.
But did you know the Origin of this popular Bengali Chingri Malaikari recipe?
Well, this is an interesting trivia you should know. While it might sound like the name of this preparation is derived from the ingredients Chingri (prawn) Malai (cream – here coconut cream) Curry. But in reality it actually gets it’s name from its place of Origin – and no its not epar Bangla or Opar Bangla – it actually is Malaysia! It essentially is Chringri Malay Curry if you have to break it down!
Now I have no idea when it sailed from Malaysia to India but we enjoy it and have given it a very high ranking in our Bengali Delicacies. Bengali restaurants will always have this on their menu.
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Which Prawns to use for Chingri Malaikari or Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut Milk?
As the name suggests, this preparation requires Chingri mach or prawns. Ideally this is made with jumbo prawns. But for the uninitiated let me tell you there are many varieties of prawn. Bagda Chingri is what we preffer in our house. Bagda chingri is tiger prawns – the one with black stripes. Most restaurants and caterers use Golda chingri for a malaikari because golda chingris are usually bigger and looks better on the plate.
I make the Chingri Malaikari often in Bangalore and mostly use the Blue Scampi if I can’t find bagda chingri. This recipe can be made with white prawns or shrimps too in case you can’t find any jumbo tiger prawn.
Why do we cook prawns with the head on in all Bengali Recipe?
This is something I have noticed in Bangalore, fish sellers want to take off the head and tail of the prawns in the first chance! And we love the prawn head in this recipe. If you find a bigger variety of prawn – bagda or golda, please keep the head on. The head has an amazing taste. But be careful you have to clean the head while washing. Take off the eyes and the black part found right at the beginning of the head.
If you are using shrimp – take off the head and keep only the tail.
What about coconut milk?
You cannot skip the coconut milk in this recipe. It is best made with freshly blended coconut milk. But you can use canned or powdered milk too if you can’t source a fresh coconut. I am using coconut milk powder for this recipe because it just makes it easier and quicker!
How to serve Chingri Malaikari?
This recipe tastes best when served with Basanti pulao or any kind of pulao. You can also serve it with steamed rice. This is not eaten with roti/paratha because the gravy has an abundance of flavours.
How to make Chingri Malaikari or Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut milk?
Ingredients
- Jumbo Tiger Prawn - 6-8 pieces, washed and deveined
- Turmeric & Salt for marinating - 1/2 teaspoon each
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- For Tempering Oil
- Whole cinnamon - 1
- Dried Red chili - 2
- Green cardamom - 2
- Clove - 5
- Bay Leaf - 2
- Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
- For Gravy
- Onion, blended - 2 medium sized
- Tomato, blended - 3 medium sized
- Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tablespoons
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
- Garam Masala powder - 1 teaspoon
- SUgar - 2 teaspoon
- Salt - to taste
- Mustard Oil - 4 tablespoon
- Ghee - 1 teaspoon
- Coconut milk - 1.5 cups
Instructions
- Marinate prawns with salt turmeric and lemon juice and set them aside for 15 minutes.
- In a frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the prawns for 2 mins each side or till they start turning reddish.
- Remove from heat and keep aside.
- In the same frying pan heat rest of the oil and add whole spices as tempering
- Once they start to sputter, add onion, ginger garlic paste and fry well for 4 mins or till they turn light golden.
- Add turmeric and chili powder, cumin powder and mix well.
- Add tomato paste, salt and cook well till oil starts to separate.
- Cover and cook in low flame.
- Once the oil has separated add coconut milk, sugar, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add little water if you want thinner gravy.
- Once the gravy is nice and hot add prawns and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
- Before turning off the flame add ghee and garam masala.
- The gravy should be medium consistency - neither too runny, nor too tight.
Notes
1. Don't get scared if the prawns start curling up - they are not alive, they curl up with heat! 2. Do not throw away the oil, in which prawn is fried, add the rest of the oil in this left over oil. This oil now has all the flavours of prawn. 3. If you find masalas sticking on the base of pan, only sprinkle water. 4. Never cook prawns for too long - it will harden them 5. Do not overcook or overheat coconut milk - it will split 6. Rest it for 5 minutes, before serving. 7. Serve with rice or pulao.
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I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.
Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge
A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
