Coconut and green chilli prawns (shrimp)
Ingredients
397g/14fl oz can coconut milk
5-10 fresh hot green chillies, coarsley sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp finely chopped, fresh green coriander
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp ground coriander
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp white poppy seeds
4tbsp vegetable oil
2 meduim-sized onions (175g/6oz), peeled and sliced into fine half-rings
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into fine slivers
1cm/½in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine slices and then into fine slivers
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp salt
900g/2lb uncooked, unpeeled, medium-sized headless prawns
Preparation method
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Open the coconut can without shaking it. Remove the cream at the top. Save it. Now add enough water to the can to fill it to the top again. Put this thin coconut milk into a bowl.
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Put the chillies, turmeric, fresh coriander, pepper, ground coriander and ground cumin into the container of an electric blender along with 4tbsp of the thin coconut milk. Blend. Pour this spice mixture into the bowl with the thin coconut milk.
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Put the poppy seeds into a clean coffee grinder and grind as finely as possible. Add to the thin coconut milk.
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Heat the oil in a deep frying-pan over a meduim-high heat. When hot, put in the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir and fry until they brown at the edges. Now pour in the seasoned thin coconut milk and add the tamarind, salt and 120ml/4fl oz/½ cup water. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the prawns (shrimp) and the reserve thick coconut cream. Mix well and bring to a simmer. As soon as the prawns (shrimp) turn opaque all the way through, they are done.
