Kerala spiced grilled prawns.

I grew up in a small town Aluva near Cochin, Kerala, on the lush, spice-rich south west tip of India. As a boy, I spent much of my free time helping my mother in our vegetable garden and then in the kitchen, turning the plants we grown into sumptuous meals and enjoying the ultimate secure and happy, busy childhood.

From very young age what I learnt is, to have good food – we need to respect the environment in which it grows, cooks, presented and served. Being part of this link between farming, gardening and cooking is to experience something very basic yet very profound, something in this world of ours that is good not only for each of us, but all of us at the same time. I made few visits to the local schools here in Manchester, UK to inspire children and their parents to share a love of good home cooking that can colour their whole lives.

My little Kerala is known for its panoramic backwater stretches, lush green paddy fields, highlands and beaches. In my last holiday I been to Kumarakom an hour journey from Cochin is a serenely beautiful and scenic backwater destination, a charming peninsula jutting into the ever-effervescent Vembanad Lake that is dotted with plenty of traditional rice boats and canoes, leaving a scene that is immensely pleasing to the eye. It’s rich in marine life especially the exclusive kumarakom pearl spotted fish, tiger prawns, crabs, prawns and many more. I had fresh prawns from there and sharing you the recipe.

I love prawns because they’re so versatile and quick to cook. This is a really simple meal that you can rustle up in minutes. But, as is always key with any quick meal, don’t skimp on the flavour. Here I’ve given you a lovely mix of spices that will satisfy your taste buds.

With few of our fellow bloggers we have created a food group in Face book where we met few amazing food bloggers and food photographers outside word press. We would get to learn more from them. If you are interested please join with us in Foodie art files

preparation time- 10 minutes

cooking time – 10 minutes

serves – 2

Ingredients: 

Prawns – 250 gm
Garlic- 3 or 4 cloves (chopped)
Ginger- 1/4 inch piece (chopped)
Whole red chilly- 2 to 3, split into two
Kashmiri red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp.
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.
lime or lemon juice-1 tsp
Salt:  to taste.
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Coconut oil- 4 tbsp.

Method:

1) To prawns add in red chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, lime juice and salt. Mix well and marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

2) In a pan heat the coconut oil and add in the whole red chillies.

3) Add in the garlic and ginger along with curry leaves and sauté for few minutes.

4) Place the shrimps evenly and cook on a slow fire. Slowly flip all the shrimp to the other side and cook to full.

Note: Using fresh curry leaves and coconut oil, will give you a unique flavor.

Connect me on face book – Sumith Babu