Prawns Masala Curry Kerala Style

Prawns Masala Curry Recipe | Kerala Style Chemmeen Curry ​Prep Time: 10 minutes

A delicious, authentic Kerala-style Prawns Masala Curry prepared without pre-frying the onions and tomatoes. Fresh prawns are combined with finely chopped shallots/onions, ginger, tomato, green chillies, curry leaves, ground coconut with red chilli powder, and tamarind extract, then cooked together to a rich, semi-thick gravy and finished with a flavorful tempering.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course / Side Dish
Cuisine: Kerala / South Indian

Ingredients
  

  • ​Prawns Chemmeen: 250 grams (cleaned, marinated with turmeric and salt)
  • ​Onion / Shallots: 1 tbsp finely chopped
  • ​Ginger: A small piece finely cut
  • ​Tomato: Half of a medium-sized tomato cut
  • ​Green Chillies: 3 nos
  • ​Curry Leaves: A sprig
  • ​Grated Coconut: 3/4 cup
  • ​Red Chilli Powder for coconut paste: As needed
  • ​Water: As required for grinding and adjusting gravy consistency
  • ​Tamarind: Lemon-sized piece soaked to extract pulp
  • ​Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
  • ​Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
  • ​Spice Powder Mixed Masala Powder: 1 tbsp
  • ​Salt: As required
  • ​Coconut Oil for tempering: As needed
  • ​Sliced Onion / Shallots for tempering: For final seasoning
  • ​Spice Powder extra for tempering: 1/2 tbsp (optional, for rich color and arom

Equipment

  • Earthen pot (മൺചട്ടി) / Pan
  • ​Mixer Grinder
  • ​Spatula

Method
 

  1. ​In an earthen pot, add finely chopped onions, chopped ginger, tomato pieces, green chillies, and curry leaves.
  2. ​Add the cleaned prawns (marinated with turmeric and salt) into the pot.
  3. ​In a mixer grinder, grind the grated coconut along with a little red chilli powder and water into a smooth, fine paste.
  4. ​Pour the ground coconut paste into the earthen pot, and rinse the jar with a little more water into the pot.
  5. ​Extract the juice from the soaked tamarind, discard the pulp and seeds, and add the tamarind extract to the pot.
  6. ​Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, mixed masala powder, and required salt.
  7. ​Mix everything thoroughly using your hand to ensure all ingredients and spices blend well, adding a little more water if the mixture is too thick.
  8. ​Place the pot on the stove, cook on medium flame until it comes to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer until the gravy becomes semi-thick.
  9. ​For the tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan, sauté sliced onions until golden brown, optionally stir in a little masala powder for a rich aroma and color, and pour it over the curry.
  10. ​Mix well and serve hot with rice.

Video

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Notes

​This traditional recipe does not require sautéing onions and tomatoes beforehand; everything is mixed raw for an easy and flavorful preparation.
​Adjust the water carefully so the curry achieves a nice, semi-thick gravy consistency suitable for rice.
​Adding a small pinch of masala powder during the final tempering enhances the color and aroma of the curry.

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