A close friend of mine lives a stone's throw away from the offices of Ananda Bazar Patrika, a large Calcutta-based newspaper group. His apartment, with its narrow staircase dark wood furniture, high ceilings and 'mystery doors' is a great place to settle down in the deep sofas and shoot the breeze for a couple of hours.
While my friend doesn't cook, he does have wonderful people around him who can cook wonderfully -- I have eaten the most traditional and delicious Bengali food at his place: deem boras, luchi, cholar dal, fish and prawn curries and fresh mishtis like kheerer chop, nolen gurer sondesh.
The recipe for chingri malai curry given below is a common Bengali way of preparing prawns (or shrimp) for special occasions. Here in Taipei, I have with great success, replicated the dish using frozen shrimp balls available at all Chinese supermarkets. Of course back in Calcutta it is made with fresh large shrimp.
The Recipe
Tiger or 'jumbo' or any large size prawns (cleaned and shelled) 500-750 grams
Thick coconut milk 1 cup
small green cardamoms 5-6
cloves 2-3
cinnamon 2
red chillie paste 1/2 teaspoon
ginger paste 1 teaspoon
tumeric powder 1 teaspoon
fresh chillies 4
ghee 2-3 tablespoons
sugar 1/2 teaspoon
salt to taste
Heat ghee, add cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves. Then add the prawns and fresh chillies slit down the middle, tumeric powder, chillie and ginger paste. Mix well and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk, salt and sugar. Cook till gravy thickens -- about 10-12 minutes. Do not overcook as prawns turn rubbery. Add a tablespoon of ghee and remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.
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