I am NOT a fish person. I was not even a meat person. Until a few years back, I was happy and contended with curd rice and fried bhindi while my family feasted on Karuvaadu (pickled dried fish), Kaadai (a game bird) and the choicest of parts from a well fed goat. I even went on a successful stint of vegetarianism for two-and-a-half years, something that my mother still regrets. Of course, there were times (not during my veg stint) when I never turned down any noble soul who fed me sumptuous Chicken Biriyani or Aatu Kaal Paaya. But I am NOT a fish person. I had never ever ever fallen for seafood, until I visited my cousins in Kerala on the pretext of needing a quiet place to prepare for my GRE. They lived in a very peaceful neighborhood in Ernakulam and I got all the calmness that the world could give. But I also got hot, freshly cooked Kerala Saapaadu with plenty of puttu, kadala, pulisseri, meen, chemmeen and kozhi. I never bothered about the fish, but the the rest were truly out of the world! Coconut or no-coconut, the Malayalis know how to live life king-sized (atleast at the dining table) and I was living it every single day. That trip opened a lot of doors. My GREs went well, I got hooked onto Malayali food and when I landed up in the US, I decided that I had to make my own, if I ever had to experience those king-sized meals again.
So, a couple of weeks ago, when I opened my freezer to see a packet of frozen shrimps staring down at me, I decided that the time was right to recreate some of the magic. Chemmeen or prawns are easily the best part of their cuisine. I am sure that most of the Malayalis would object and take the side of Neimeen and Matthi (types of fish) or Erachi (beef), but since I eat neither, to me the pinnacle of their non-vegetarian gastronomic experience is the Chemmeen. Put together with the unanimous flag-bearer of Kerala's kitchens, Cocos Nucifera, commonly known as the coconut, it makes a dish so irresistible, that to me, life's journey would be quite be flavorless if one had not succumbed to this. Presenting, a marriage truly solemnized in the heavens - Chemmeen Thernga Paal Curry (shrimps cooked in spicy coconut milk).
CHEMMEEN THENGA PAAL CURRY (Serves 4-5)
Set-up Time : 10 minutes excluding shrimp thawing time
Set-up Time : 10 minutes excluding shrimp thawing time
Experiment Run-Time : 30 Minutes
The Shopping List
Set 1: Knife-Skills
Onion : 1 large, sliced thinly
Onion : 1 large, sliced thinly
Green Chilies : 4, slit lengthwise
Ginger : 1 inch, finely minced
Ginger : 1 inch, finely minced
Set 2: For the Gravy
Shrimps (frozen/fresh) - 500 gms
(I used one bag of frozen shrimps - 31-40 count)
Tomato paste : 3 Tbsp or 2 fresh Tomatoes finely chopped
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1/2 Tbsp
(I used one bag of frozen shrimps - 31-40 count)
Tomato paste : 3 Tbsp or 2 fresh Tomatoes finely chopped
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1/2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder : 1 Tbsp
Tamarind Paste : 1/2 tsp
(1/4 tsp if you manage to get authentic Kudampuli*)
Thick Coconut Milk : 1 cup
(or use 1 cup dried coconut ground to a paste with 1/4 cup water)
Coconut Oil : 2 Tbsp (I use good old Parachute!)
Salt : as per taste
Tamarind Paste : 1/2 tsp
(1/4 tsp if you manage to get authentic Kudampuli*)
Thick Coconut Milk : 1 cup
(or use 1 cup dried coconut ground to a paste with 1/4 cup water)
Coconut Oil : 2 Tbsp (I use good old Parachute!)
Salt : as per taste
Set 3: Thaalippu
Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves : a strand
* Kudampuli, more commonly known as the Brindleberry or Malabar tamarind or Gambooge, is a fruit that grows on the south-west coast of India and is often used in Malabar cuisine to spike up the sourness in dishes. Like other such exotic condiments, it does impart its own unique taste to the dish, however, it can easily be replaced with tamarind if not available.
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves : a strand
* Kudampuli, more commonly known as the Brindleberry or Malabar tamarind or Gambooge, is a fruit that grows on the south-west coast of India and is often used in Malabar cuisine to spike up the sourness in dishes. Like other such exotic condiments, it does impart its own unique taste to the dish, however, it can easily be replaced with tamarind if not available.
Methodology
1. If using frozen shrimp, make sure you leave it out at room temperature for a sufficient time to thaw out. Once it is thawed, depending on where you bought them, you may need to clean the shrimps, remove the exoskeleton, and relieve the gut from the shrimp. Rinse multiple times in cold water and keep aside.
2. In a deep pan, add the coconut oil and heat it on a stove. When the oil's aroma reaches your nose, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
3. As the curry leaves start crackling, tip in the sliced onions, slit green chilies and minced ginger. Cook on a medium flame until the onions turn transparent.
5. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the mixture. Let it come to a vigorous boil.
7. Finally, pour in the coconut milk/ coconut paste and mix it well. Add water, as required, to attain the desired consistency. When the curry is just on the verge of boiling, turn off the heat. Overheating, especially with coconut milk as an ingredient, may spoil the taste of the dish.
8. If desired, fry a few curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the curry for garnish.
2. In a deep pan, add the coconut oil and heat it on a stove. When the oil's aroma reaches your nose, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
3. As the curry leaves start crackling, tip in the sliced onions, slit green chilies and minced ginger. Cook on a medium flame until the onions turn transparent.
4. At this stage, add the spice powders, stirring the onions continuously so as not to burn the powders. Follow them with the tomato paste and a half cup of water (Omit the water if using fresh tomatoes). Continue to stir until the mixture thickens a bit and the raw smell of the tomatoes disappears.
5. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the mixture. Let it come to a vigorous boil.
6. Carefully add the cleaned shrimps to the pan followed with some salt. Reduce the flame and allow the shrimps to cook in the gravy. Shrimps cook fairly fast and hence 6-7 minutes should be sufficient.
7. Finally, pour in the coconut milk/ coconut paste and mix it well. Add water, as required, to attain the desired consistency. When the curry is just on the verge of boiling, turn off the heat. Overheating, especially with coconut milk as an ingredient, may spoil the taste of the dish.
8. If desired, fry a few curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the curry for garnish.
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I ate my Chemmeen Thenga Paal Curry with hot white rice and Malabar Parotta last week. The parotta-curry combination was especially nostalgic, rekindling the memories of some of my days at Ernakulam. And it refrigerates very well too, though I would not recommend it for a second day's lunch back home in baking-hot Chennai (the sub-zero temperatures, here in Cincinnati, makes it impossible for food to spoil quickly). A word of advice : do not skip or scrimp on the coconut oil. Canola/ Vegetable/Peanut oils don't even come close. Also, use the larger shrimps for a better sense of taste (31-40 count is pretty good). Other than that, you are welcome to add your own tweaks on the recipe. And, I kinda lied when I said that I am NOT a fish person : I loved their Karimeen Polichathu (but just that). But that story still has time to be told!
that looks really yum... even though I am not a prawn person, sure my hubby would love this... bookmarked!!!
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