Unakka Chemmeen Or Fresh Prawns Curry

Try this curry with dried shrimps or with fresh prawns. Cooked with unripe mangoes, which imparts tanginess to the curry, you will have to choose some real sour mangoes. Depending on the sourness of the mango, add one or more mangoes to get the desired tanginess for the curry.

Ingredients

2 cups – Dried shrimps or fresh prawns
1 or 2 medium size – Unripe sour mango, cut to pieces
2 tsp – red chili powder
½ tsp – Turmeric powder
½ tsp – Coriander powder
4 – Green chilies
½ inch piece – Ginger, grated
5 big – Shallots, diced
3 to 4 sprigs – Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1 and ¾ cup to 2 cup – Freshly grated coconut

Seasoning

6 big – Shallots, diced
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) Wash dried shrimp well. Transfer to a pot or pan to cook in. Add mango, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, green chili, ginger, shallots, curry leaves and salt to taste. To this add 2 to 2.5 cups of water and place on stove. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook till shrimps and mango are cooked well and most of the water is used up.

2 ) Meanwhile, grind coconut to a smooth paste with water. Add this to the cooked shrimp. Add little more water to get a semi thick gravy consistency. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Check salt to taste. Turn off the stove.

3 ) For seasoning, heat coconut oil in another pan, add diced shallots and brown it on lower heat. Add the seasoning on to the curry.

Serve with hot steamed rice.


Tip : If mango is not sour enough, add a piece of kudampuli , while cooking the dry Shrimp.

2 ) When cooking with fresh prawns, in the initial cooking with mango, you don't need 2 to 2.5 cups water to cook prawns. Use 1 or 1.5 cups of water to cook.