Whenever there is a battle between Prawn and Hilsa fish, my vote always goes to the prawn. This is the only fish (though it's actually not a fish, but we call it so) which has been my favourite since childhood. So when I came to know that Himel doesn't eat any kind of fish, the first question that I asked him, "don't you eat even prawn? Please please please try to eat it :P". I was very happy hearing that he doesn't eat any kind of fish as I am not very fond of fish and eat only selected kinds. But seriously, I felt heart broken when I came to know that he also not eat prawn. Anyhow over the year of my marriage, I can at least prepare fish at home now and eat in front of him and the only fish that I prepare in the home is "prawn".
Now among the all other recipes of prawn, "Narkel Dudhe Vapa Chingri" is my most favourite. It is a divine treat, and yet, it is ridiculously simple to make. It incorporates the rich flavour of freshly ground mustard along with the sweetness of coconut. In my home my Maa prepares "Vapa Chingri" in two ways. One is with grated coconut and another is with coconut milk. I like the one with coconut milk more. It's a bit different from the one with grated coconut. "Narkel Dudhe Vapa Chingri" is more creamy, a bit sweet and runny than with the grated coconut one.
Today I present you my Maa's recipe "Narkel Dudhe Vapa Chingri". In this dish, the perfectly cooked prawn with delicate flesh along with the coconut milk will melt in mouth like cream and give you a heavenly feeling. Traditionally this dish has always been prepared in a steamer or double-boiler over a stove, but you can prepare it in microwave as well.
Tips:
In this recipe, I have taken readymade thick coconut milk. You can use readymade coconut milk powder or make your own coconut milk from scratch. For coconut milk powder add small quantity of warm water at a time and mix it well. The milk consistency should not be too thin. For homemade coconut milk take 1 medium sized scrapped coconut. Soak it in 1.5 cup of hot water for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Grind it smoothly and then strain the milk. You will get thick coconut milk.
The recipe is prepared in mustard oil. Try not to replace it with any other oil, otherwise you won't get the authentic taste.
While cleaning the prawn, try to keep the head on. It will give the dish extra flavour.
I have used a steel tiffin box with lid in this recipe for steaming. If you are unable to arrange this one, you can use any heat proof bowl (such as glass or ceramic bowl). Take an aluminium foil. Fold it 2 times to get a thick cover. Cover the bowl with it. Secure the foil with a twine around the bowl.
Coconut Milk Steamed Prawn (Narkel Dudhe Vapa Chingri)
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
200 gm cleaned and deveined Prawn, head & tail on
175 ml (1 cup) thick Coconut Milk
50 gm (1/4th cup) grated Coconut
8-10 pieces Green Chillies
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1 tbsp White Mustard Seeds
1/2 tbsp Black Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Sugar
3.5 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt per taste
Recipe:
Soak the white and yellow mustard seeds in warm water for at least 45 minutes or you can soak them overnight.
Marinate the prawn with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. Keep it aside.
Now strain the water from the mustard seeds. Take them in a grinder jar along with 5-6 green chillies, a pinch of salt and a small amount of water. Grind them smooth.
When the mustard paste becomes smooth, add the grated coconut along with it and grind them again until they form a thick smooth paste.
Now in a bowl add the thick coconut milk, mustard- green chilli- coconut paste, ginger paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2.5 tbsp mustard oil, sugar and mix them well. The mixture should not be too runny or too thick.
Now add salt to it as per your taste. Keep in mind that we marinated the prawn with salt too. So adjust accordingly.
Taste for the seasoning. If everything is fine then add the marinated prawn and keep this aside for at least 15 minutes.
Now it's time to steam the prawn, you can do it in several ways:
In a pressure cooker or deep bottomed vessel:
place the prawns and mustard-coconut mixture in a covered steel container (such as a tiffin box). Pour over the rest of the mustard oil on the top of the mixture. Add 2-3 slitted green chillies on the top. Cover the tiffin box with lid. Fill the pressure cooker or vessel 1/3 with water and bring it to boil. Now, carefully place the tiffin box in the water. Be sure to check that the water level does not reach the lid of your tiffin box. Cover up the pot/pressure cooker and allow the prawns to steam on low flame for 15-20 minutes in the boiling pot or for 2 whistle in a pressure cooker. Switch off the flame. Once completely cooled, take out the steel container out of the vessel/pressure cooker and open it.
In a microwave:
Take the mixture in microwave safe bowl. Top with remaining mustard oil and slitted green chillies. Cover it with lid or cling wrap. Micro on medium heat (60%) for 10-12 minutes.
In a rice pot
Take the mixture in a container with lid. Top with remaining mustard oil and slitted green chillies. Cover the lid tightly. Place the container in the rice pot along with the rice and water. The prawn will be cooked along with the rice.
Serve it with hot steamed rice.
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