Prawn in poppy seed sauce

Prawns can be cooked in almost every way that you might like – sauté, stir fry, deep fry, curry, baked – almost anything. Curry obviously is a major part of Indian Cuisine but wait a minute the onion tomato and spice curry is not the only curry that we do. There can hundreds of curry in made in numerous ways. So that’s what I tried here – bringing some distinct flavours from several parts of the country.

‘Posto’ or poppy seeds are used extensively throughout Bengali & Oriya cuisine it gives a very nice texture and a certain poppy hit. I have also used ‘char magaz’ which is a mix of dried almond, watermelon, pumpkin & cantaloupe seeds for the curry. It is mostly used in Rajasthani cuisine as well as in Bengali cuisine. So now you know Bengali food is not only fish & sweets!!

It is served with yakhni rice, which is nothing but cooking rice in aromatic water than the regular water. Simple!

1.       Prawn – 250 g

2.       Tomato pureed – 2 cups

3.       Posto (poppy seeds) – 2 tbl spoon & Char Magaz – 1 tbl spoon (soacked in warm water for 20 mins & pureed)

4.       Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon

5.       Cashew nut & raisins (soaked in water) – ½ cup

6.       Coconut Milk – 1 cup

7.       Red chilli powder – ¼ tea spoon

8.       Cumin powder – ¼ tea spoon

9.       Salt to taste

10.   Oil/Clarified butter – 2 table spoons

11.   Lime juice – 1 table spoon

1.       Long Grain rice – 1 cup

2.       Star Anise – 1

3.       Bay Leaf – 1

4.       Cloves – 5-6

5.       Green Cardamom – 4

6.       Black Cardamom – 1

7.       Cinnamon – 2 small sticks

8.       Cumin Seeds – 1 tea spoon

9.       Coriander seeds – 1 tea spoon

10.   Black peppercorn – 1 tea spoon

11.   Water – 2.5 cups

12.   Muslin Cloth – 8×8 inch

De-vein and clean the prawn – and marinate them with the lime juice and salt for 10 mins

Sauté the prawns in a wok till it turns opaque and then take of the fire

In the same wok heat oil and add cumin seeds.

When it starts spluttering add the pureed mix of poppy seeds & char magaz and keep frying till oil separates.

Add pureed tomato, cumin powder, red chilli powder and keep stirring

Add salt to taste and cook in low flame for 5 mins

Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 mins.

       Add the fried prawns, cashew & raisin to the curry and simmer for 2 mins.

       And you are done with your prawn.

       For Yakhni Rice

       Take a muslin cloth, put all the dry whole spices and make a small parcel.

       Boil that parcel in water for 20 mins.

      Cook the rice in this water. (I added some cumin seeds for extra flavour)

Garnish & serve the prawn with this aromatic rice.