Jul 1, 2008

God's Own Country's Chemmeen Curry / Prawns Curry in Meen Chatty / Earthen Pot







Ingredients
Fresh prawns- 500 g , shelled and de-veined

( De-veining Prawns

It is important to clean the prawns. The vein like string appearing in a prawn is actually its internal organs and intestine. If not cleaned it may leave a bad taste / its unhealthy.

The quickest and neatest way to de-vein an uncooked prawn is to insert a fine skewer just behind the head, using it to carefully draw out the vein in one piece).


Onion-3 , thinly sliced

Ginger- garlic paste – 2 teaspoon

Tomatoes -2 , chopped

Dark green Curry leaves -1 spring

Red chilly powder -1- 1 ½ teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon ( ½ teaspoon for marinate and ½ for curry )

Pepper powder -1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon

Cooking oil -2 teaspoon

Water -1/2 cup

Salt to taste




Method

Wash and de-veined the prawns. Marinate with 1 /2 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder . Keep aside for half an hour.

Heat oil in earthen pot on slow flame. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Make a paste of red chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and coriander powder with 1 teaspoon water. Add this paste , ginger – garlic paste, curry leaves. Saute slowly for 5-8 minutes. Add prawns and salt to taste. Cover with Earthen pot / Meen Chatty lid. Cook on a medium flame for 15 -20 minutes or till done. Serve with rice / Appam

Suggestion : Use coconut oil as well for cooking. ( I have also made a switch from traditional KudampuliCocum ( or Kokum) – to Tomatoes


Kerala got a lot of village restaurants and Toddy shops. If one wants to enjoy the traditional fish / prawn cuisine of Kerala, one should go to the Toddy shops. But for the cleanliness, and the ambience ( or the lack of it), the food preparation is delicious.




This Prawns curry is prepared in the traditional style in an earthen pot ( known popularly as Meen Chatty) as one find in the places mentioned above. The Keralites believe that the curry made this way taste special and got its own unique flavor. ( the only marked difference being that I have used very little oil and spices; but back in Kerala, one can find that the use of oil is very generous and so is red chilly.





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hello niya,
tried your recipe .its really good.ts just like my ammas curry.thanks.
happy smile

Anonymous said...

hi niya,
your recipe is found in another blog as well (exactly the same recipe name with the same pictures).I googled for earthen pots and ended up in both blogs.
Really shame on them to copy your's hardwork ...

~Ravikalaa