Keralan prawn curry
This no-faff curry is a wonder – simply tip the ingredients into a tin, roast and voilà ! An aromatic prawn curry with no effort required.
Ingredients
- 220²µ/7¾´Ç³ú cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
- 1 green pepper, finely sliced
- 1 onion, roughly sliced
- 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- few curry leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus extra if needed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 400g tin coconut milk
- 300–350g/10½–12oz raw king prawns
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
To serve
- handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 200g/7oz basmati rice, rinsed and drained well
Method
To make the curry, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Tip the tomatoes on the vines, the green pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, spices, curry leaves (if using), salt and oil into a roasting tin and mix really well to coat everything evenly. Roast for 15–20 minutes (if your oven runs hot and things start to char, rescue them after 15).
Fish out the vines, squash down the tomatoes, add the coconut milk, prawns and spinach and return to the oven for 9–10 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and just cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the rice. Place the rice and 400ml/14fl oz boiling water in a large glass microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a microwave-safe plate that neatly covers the top of the bowl to act as a lid.ÌýMicrowave on medium power (800W) for 11 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Taste and season the curry with the lime juice and more salt if needed. Scatter over the coriander and chilli and serve with the rice alongside.
Recipe Tips
If you prefer a thicker curry, use half the amount of coconut milk or a 200g tin of coconut cream instead. (Don’t make the mistake I have in the past and buy a cardboard packet of creamed coconut – it’s useful only as a cosh or doorstop!)
