Prawns Gassi

This is one Konkani/Mangalorean dish that I love. Simple to make and yet very delicious. Again, I hope this recipe is authentic. However if some friends from the Konkan coast could give their seal of approval or give the correct version of the recipe, it would be really nice.

Ingredients

• Prawns - 500 gm (weight after cleaning and deveining)
• One medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp oil (coconut oil preferred)
• 1 sprig of curry leaves (optional)
• Salt, as per taste
• Pulp extract of 1½ tbsp of tamarind (take a lemon sized tamarind ball and add it to a bowl of lukewarm water. Strain it after about 15 minutes)
• Prawns stock/water, 2 cups

Masala Paste

• Roasted whole Kashmiri red chillies - 10 to 15 (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
• One medium sized onion thinly sliced
• 2 tsp of roasted whole coriander (you can substitute with coriander powder)
• ¼ tsp of fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10-12 black peppercorns
• 1 cup grated coconut (half of one medium sized coconut)
• 8-10 garlic cloves

Grind the above into a fine paste using a little water.

Method

• Clean the prawns and mix it with salt and set aside for a while (15-20 minutes)
• Take a pan and add the oil
• Once the oil is hot, add the curry leaves (optional)
• Add the chopped onions and sauté till the onions turn slighly brown
• Add the ground masala and fry it on medium heat till the whole mixture turns brown and the oil seperates from the masala
• Add the tamarind extract as needed (keep tasting it so that you do not add too much or too little)
• Add 2 cups of prawns stock or water
• Once the mixture boils, add the prawns and salt and reduce the flame
• Cook the prawns for about 5 minutes

Prawns stock

• If you are buying fresh prawns, keep aside the shells, except the head, while cleaning them.
• Wash the shells well and add them to a pan with 3-4 cups of water
• Boil the mixture and then turn it to simmer and let it simmer for at least an hour
• Remove the scum that may form at the top
• Strain and you have the prawns stock. If you have excess stock, store them in the freezer and use them as required for soups and other preparations of prawns.

This goes well with white rice or naan.