Chemmeen roast

Method

1. The night before: move the frozen prawns to the fridge to thaw.
2. Pat 440 g prawns dry. In a bowl, mix them with ¼ tsp turmeric, half the 3 tsp chilli powder and half the 1 tsp salt. Leave 10 minutes.
3. Thinly slice 240 g (~1½ medium) onion. Chop 120 g (~1 medium) tomato. Finely chop 15 g ginger and 8 cloves garlic.
4. Heat 1½ tbsp coconut oil in the kadai on medium. Add the onion and cook 8 minutes, stirring, until golden.
5. Add the ginger, garlic and 1 sprigs curry leaves and stir 1 minute.
6. Turn to low. Add the rest of the chilli powder and 3 tsp coriander powder and stir 30 seconds.
7. Add the tomato and the rest of the salt. Cook on medium for 4 minutes until mushy and oil shows at the edges.
8. Turn to medium-high. Add the prawns and stir-fry 5 to 6 minutes until pink, opaque and curled into a loose C shape. A tight O means overcooked.
9. Add ¾ tsp pepper and toss 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.

Tips

• For a toddler, keep a few prawns aside with just turmeric and salt and pan-fry them separately for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and opaque. Chop small.

Make it easier

• The night before: Move the prawns from freezer to fridge to thaw.

Keeping and freezing

• Fridge: keeps 2 days in a lidded box. Cool it within an hour of cooking.
• Freezer: freezes well for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot.

Good to know

• Contains: prawns / shellfish.
• Asthma: buy prawns, raw peeled without sulphites (220–228).
• Toddlers: take their portion out before adding chilli or pepper.