A popular yellow mildly spiced coconut milk curry flavoured with either fish or vegetable. Prawns in combination with a particular vegetable is an absolute winner. This gravy needs some extra effort and care when preparing. Served with rice, you will definitely go for a second helping. Ideal for young children and those who are not accustomed to eating spicy foods.
Fresh grated coconut is ground with spices and warm water. Thick and thin coconut milk is extracted from the ground paste for the gravy. To prevent the gravy from curdling, a teaspoon of raw rice or poppy seeds are ground to give the curry some texture. I did not add either of the two, but prepared the dish with extra care by simmering it on low heat to prevent it from curdling. This curry is out of this world and taste heavenly. It is rich and creamy with a perfect balance of sweetness from the coconut milk, a hint of sour from the tamarind along with the delicious flavour of the prawns and lady fingers.
Fresh grated coconut is ground with spices and warm water. Thick and thin coconut milk is extracted from the ground paste for the gravy. To prevent the gravy from curdling, a teaspoon of raw rice or poppy seeds are ground to give the curry some texture. I did not add either of the two, but prepared the dish with extra care by simmering it on low heat to prevent it from curdling. This curry is out of this world and taste heavenly. It is rich and creamy with a perfect balance of sweetness from the coconut milk, a hint of sour from the tamarind along with the delicious flavour of the prawns and lady fingers.
Prawn & Lady Finger Caldine
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg lady fingers
1 onion (sliced)
2 long green chillies (slit)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1/4 cup dried prawns
a pinch of bouillon cube
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons of oil
salt
(To be ground)
1 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 large cloves of garlic
1/2-inch ginger
8 whole black peppercorns
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (1.5")
a small ball of tamarind
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cups warm water (2 cups for thick and 1 cup for thin milk extractions)
Method:
Wash lady fingers, pat dry and trim off the ends. Cut each into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
Pinch off the tips of the head and tail of each shrimp. Soak them in some water to soften, while extracting the spicy coconut milk.
Grind the coconut and spices coarsely with two cups of warm water. Extract thick milk using a sieve and keep aside.
Now to extract thin milk, add another one cup of warm water and run the ground paste again in the blender. Extract thin milk in a separate bowl using a sieve.
(For easy milk extractions, first use a wide sieve. When pouring the coconut milk into the pan, strain again through a tea strainer with a fine mesh.)
Heat oil in a pan and saute onion till translucent. Add the tomato and cook until pulpy. Drain out the water from the prawns and fry them. Incorporate the lady fingers, green chillies and thin milk extract. Cook on low heat until the lady fingers are almost tender. Mix in the bouillon cube and sugar.
Stir in the thick coconut milk and simmer only for a couple of minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt. (Do not boil or else the gravy will curdle.) Remove from heat.
Serve caldine with steaming hot rice or bread.
Note:
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg lady fingers
1 onion (sliced)
2 long green chillies (slit)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1/4 cup dried prawns
a pinch of bouillon cube
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons of oil
salt
(To be ground)
1 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 large cloves of garlic
1/2-inch ginger
8 whole black peppercorns
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (1.5")
a small ball of tamarind
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cups warm water (2 cups for thick and 1 cup for thin milk extractions)
Method:
Wash lady fingers, pat dry and trim off the ends. Cut each into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
Pinch off the tips of the head and tail of each shrimp. Soak them in some water to soften, while extracting the spicy coconut milk.
Grind the coconut and spices coarsely with two cups of warm water. Extract thick milk using a sieve and keep aside.
Now to extract thin milk, add another one cup of warm water and run the ground paste again in the blender. Extract thin milk in a separate bowl using a sieve.
(For easy milk extractions, first use a wide sieve. When pouring the coconut milk into the pan, strain again through a tea strainer with a fine mesh.)
Heat oil in a pan and saute onion till translucent. Add the tomato and cook until pulpy. Drain out the water from the prawns and fry them. Incorporate the lady fingers, green chillies and thin milk extract. Cook on low heat until the lady fingers are almost tender. Mix in the bouillon cube and sugar.
Stir in the thick coconut milk and simmer only for a couple of minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt. (Do not boil or else the gravy will curdle.) Remove from heat.
Serve caldine with steaming hot rice or bread.
Note:
- Do not boil gravy after adding thick coconut milk, it will curdle.
- This gravy is simmered on very low heat.
- Substitute dried prawns with 250 grams fresh prawns, about 1 cup when cleaned.
- Lady fingers can be replaced with red pumpkin, bottle gourd, kohlrabi or turnip, radish, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, breadfruit or sicilian zucchini. Vegetables can be used with or without prawns.
