Chemmeen Thengapal Curry (Prawns Coconut Milk Curry)

Ingredients:
Tiger Prawns - 7 no.s (Marinate with salt, pinch of turmeric, 1 t spoon red chilly powder and keep aside for 15 mins)
Onion - 1 no. (sliced 1/2 lengthwise)
Green Chilly - 2 no.s (split into half)
Tomato - 1 no. (Sliced lengthwise)
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly powder - 2 t spoon
Coriander powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 t spoon
Mustard seed - 1 t spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 t spoon
Cooking Oil - 2 1/2 table spoon
Coconut Milk (thin) - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/2-1cup
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat a saucepan and add cooking oil.
2. Splutter mustard seed, add sliced onions, green chilly and sauté well.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt to taste.
4. Add the marinated tiger prawns and mix well.
5. Add sliced tomatoes, mix well and add 1/4 cup water and allow to cook for 10 mins under low heat.
6. Once cooked add coconut milk and 1/4 cup water and cook for 5-7 mins.
7. Garnish with curry leaves.

Spicy chemmeen curry (Prawns coconut milk curry) is ready to eat. You can have this with Rice, Dosa, Chappathi etc

Chemmeen Fry (Prawns Coconut Fry)

Prawns (Chemmeen) is one of our favorite sea food in any form. But nowadays I am reducing it fearing of cholesterol. So I buy in numbers!!! Last to last weekend I made a simple dish with prawns and thought of sharing with you all.
Last few weeks I tried some of yours recipes and all turned out very very well. Thank you girls for posting such wonderful recipes.

Ingredients:
Prawns (Chemmeen) - 15no.s
Onion - 1 medium (Sliced finely)
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Non Spicy Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 table spoon
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 3 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Marinate prawns with turmeric, chilly powder, salt to taste and keep aside for 15mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions, saute till it turns tender.
3. Add coconut and mix well, saute till its raw smell goes off.
4. Add marinated prawns and mix well.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the prawns ar cooked well.
6. Garnish with curry leaves.

Chemmeen Biriyani (Prawns Biriyani)

Chemmeen (prawns) biriyani is one of our favorites and it used to be a common item on the table when we have guests. A draft was lying in my blog for quite long time. Recently my hubby's friend had been complaining that he never got a chance to taste my chemmeen biriyani, while most of the other friends had a lot to say about it. Last weekend, being chinese new year, my hubby stuffed the fridge with some vegetables, chicken, fish and prawns as most of the shops are closed for 2-3 days. What a coincidence, the same friend gave a casual call on chinese new year and my hubby invited him for a lunch the next day and made it possible to publish this post!!!

Ingredients:
For Marinating Prawns:
Red Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste

For Prawns Masala:
Prawns(Chemmeen) - 18 no.s
Onions - 1 1/2 medium (Slice to half length wise)
Tomato - 1 1/2 medium (Chop to fine pieces)
Green Chilly - 2 nos (Split into half)
Ginger - 1 inch (Chop to fine pieces)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Chop to fine pieces)
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 t spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Salt - To taste
Fennel Seeds - 1/8 t spoon
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Oil - 3 table spoon

For Rice:
Jeera rice - 3 cups (Basmati rice is the best option)
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Water - 6 cups
Salt - To taste

For Garnishing
Cashew - 8 nos
Raisin - 8 nos
Cinnamon stick - 1 1/2 inch (Break it into small pieces)
Onion - 1 small (Chopped half lengthwise)
Flower spice - 3
Bay leaf - 3 (Cut into pieces)
Oil - 1 table spoon
Ghee - 1 1/2 table spoon
Cardamom - 3 nos
Coriander Leaves - 3 sprigs

Marination:
Mix salt, turmeric and red chilly powder with very little water. Mix it evenly on the cleaned prawns and keep aside for 15-20 minutes

Preparation:
For Prawns:

1. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
2. Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute it.
3. Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute until onions becomes soft.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, fennel seeds and stir for 15-20 seconds.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and stir for another 20-30 seconds till the tomatoes turn tender.
6. Add the marinated prawns and mix well and cover the pan with the lid. Cook over medium flame until prawns are cooked.
7. Once prawns are almost cooked add curry leaves.
8. Prawn masala is now ready. Keep it aside for mixing it later with rice.

For Garnishing:
We will first prepare the garnishing item as we can use the same oil and ghee for frying the rice.

1. Heat cooking oil and ghee in a wok.
2. Add sliced onion and saute it till deep golden brown.
3. Then transfer it to a plate.
4. Add rest of the spices (except coriander leaves) and heat it till fragrant.
5. Transfer these to a plate.

For Rice:
Wash and drain the rice using a colander.
Heat 6 cups of water in a separate bowl and boil it.

1. Add one more table spoon of ghee to the wok after transferring the garnishing items out of the wok.
2. Once heated add the dried rice and fry it till rice becomes firm and starts breaking.
3. Add boiled water, salt and close the lid and cook over low flame.
4. When water is almost over, turn off the flame. But don't open the lid and keep it aside for 15 minutes, until the rice is completely cooked.

Layering:
For layering we need a vessel big enough to hold rice and prawns. Or you can use the wok itself.

1. Put rice and prawns in alternate layers starting with rice.
2. Add chopped coriander leaves while adding prawns.
3. Garnish with initially prepared spices.
4. Cover the vessel with a well fitting lid (air tight) and heat over low flame for around 1 minute.
5. Keep the lid closed for another 10 minutes.

Prawns biriyani (Chemmeen Biriyani) is now ready to serve. I love it with yogurt & Coriander Chutney.

Chemmeen Varutharachathu (Prawns Curry)

Chemmmeeen... This is my most favorite sea food. I have a craze for medium sized prawns, whether it is fried, curry or any thing. When I make varutharacha chemmeen curry, I always run short of rice that day. :)

Ingredients:
Chemmeen (Prawns) - 15 nos
Shallots - 10 nos (Chopped into fine pieces)
Onion - 1 medium (Chopped into fine pieces)
Tomato - 1 medium (Sliced into 4 parts)
Green Chillies - 3 (Split in half)
Ginger - 1 inch (Chop finely)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Chop finely)
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 t spoon
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - To taste
Cooking Oil - 2 1/2 table spoon

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and roast the grated coconut for around 6-8 minutes.
2. When turns slightly brown add chilly powder (1 t spoon), coriander powder (1 t spoon) and stir well till coconut is completely roasted (Around 6-8 minutes). Keep it aside and allow it to cool. Then grind it in mixer and transfer to a bowl.
3. Heat the man chatti (earthern pot) and add 1 1/2 table spoon cooking oil.
4. Once heated add shallots, onion, green chillies and saute it well till onions and shallots are tender.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
6. Add ginger and garlic and saute well.
7. Add remaining (1/2 t spoon) red chilly powder and coriander powder and saute well.
8. Add the cleaned prawns, sliced tomatoes and mix well.
9. Add 1 cup of water and cover the chatti with lid and allow to cook over medium flame.
10. Once prawns are cooked, add the prepared coconut paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Heat a pan and add 1 table spoon of oil. Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
12. Transfer these contents to the chemmeen curry.
13. Delicious varutharacha chemmeen curry is ready to serve.
14. It is a great combination with steamed rice or puttu.

Spicy Chemmeen

Ingredients:
Chemmen / Prawns - 1/4 kilo / 15no.s
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 2 medium
Green chilly - 2no.s
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Chilly Powder -  1/2 t spoon
Coriander powder - 1 t spoon
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 strip
Cooking oil - 1 1/2 table spoon

For Marinating:
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 t spoon
Chilly Powder - 1 t spoon
Salt - 1/2 t spoon

Marination:
Remove the shell of  chemeen(Prawns) & Clean it well. Then marinate with turmeric, chilly, salt (kept aside for marinating) and keep it aside for 10mins.

Preparation:

1. Slice onions lengthwise, tomatoes in square shape and split green chilly into half.
2. Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Add the sliced onions & green chilly and saute it well.
3. Add salt, turmeric, chilly & coriander powder.Stir well.
4. Add sliced tomatoes. Saute it well till the tomatoes become tender.
5. Add 1 cup water. Bring to boil.
6. Once boiled, add chemmeen (Prawns) and cover the pan with well fitting lid and allow to cook for 10 mins.
7. Add curry leaves.
8. Ready to serve for 2 to 3 people.