This is one of my favorite dishes to cook, to give a nice special touch to a simple meal. I cook it with mustard oil, whole spices, onion and tomato paste. It also has some wonderful flavour from the addition of coconut milk. I finish it off with some ghee and garam masala. This is a lovely meal to cook for a family lunch when they want something classic.
Before You Start:
- Chingri Malai Curry is an iconic Bengali dish known for its luscious and easy-to-cook nature.
- The creamy curry offers a mildly sweet and distinct taste due to the prawns while the coconut milk makes it creamy and the spices make it savory.
- Serve it with steamed rice.
- I can cook this dish in 50 minutes including 20 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes for resting and 20 minutes cooking time.
- If you want some alternatives to Chingri Malai Curry, you may try Prawn Curry, Daab Chingri, Prawn Ghee Roast, Prawn Masala, Prawn Fry, and Chili Prawn.
The Ingredients:
- 6 Large size prawns (Cut and washed properly)
- Onion paste (1 large size onion)
- 1 and ½ tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
- Tomato paste (1 large size tomato)
- 1 and ½ cups coconut milk
- Whole spices (3 dry red chilies, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 cardamoms, 5 cloves and 1 tsp of cumin seeds)
- 1 and ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of chili powder
- 1 tsp of colored red chili powder
- 1 tsp of garam masala powder
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
How to Cook Chingri Malai Curry (Step by Step Images)?
1. Clean the prawns properly and cut them for marination.
2. Marinate prawns with ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Keep them aside for 10 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in a pan on a low to medium flame.
4. Once hot, slide the marinated prawns one by one.
5. Sauté them on both sides for about 2 minutes.
6. Take them out on a plate when done.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to the same pan.
8. Add the whole spices. Sauté them on medium heat for about 10 seconds or until you can smell their aroma.
9. Add the onion paste. Fry till light brown.
10. Add the tomato paste.
(Pro tip: I prefer using tomato paste to store-bought puree. It renders the authentic taste).
11. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste.
12. Add half a cup of thin, second-press coconut milk to prepare the gravy.
13. Add ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder and the powdered spices and stir well.
14. When oil separates from the paste and spice mixture, add the remaining coconut milk.
(Pro Tip: I stir in the remaining coconut milk gently and let the gravy simmer rather than boiling it aggressively.
15. After the gravy reduces a bit, add the fried prawns.
16. Cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the garam masala powder and sugar.
17. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes more until a creamy texture is achieved.
18. Finish it off with 1 tsp of ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder. Chingri malai curry is ready.
Variations You Will Love
- Sometimes, for a more pronounced flavor I add a bit more fennel.
- I simmer down my coconut milk a bit so that I get a slightly thicker sauce.
- I also like to use freshly grated ginger and garlic occasionally for a more intense flavor.
Chingri Malai Curry Recipe Pro Tips for Mistakes
Q: My prawns are very curled in step 5. Is it ok?
A: Yes, it is. The prawns will curl up naturally as they cook. However, large prawns can go tough if cooked too long.
Q: My coconut milk is looking lumpy after cooking. What have I done wrong?
A: You must have boiled on a high heat after adding the coconut milk. It is best to cook on a gentle heat to make your curry nice and smooth.
Q: My Chingri Malai Curry does not have that smell of the whole spices. Why?
A: If your spices are old, they may not have much flavor. I always check that my spices are fresh.
Q: My ginger and garlic taste too strong. How can I fix this?
A: Cook your paste for long enough to allow the rawness to burn off. Once your masala has cooked for long enough, add your prawns.
Recipe Card
Chingri Malai Curry (Prawn Malai Curry)
Ingredients
- 6 Large size prawns Cut and washed properly
- Onion paste 1 large size onion
- 1 and ½ tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
- Tomato paste 1 large size tomato
- 1 and ½ cups coconut milk
- Whole spices 3 dry red chilies, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 cardamoms, 5 cloves and 1 tsp of cumin seeds
- 1 and ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of chili powder
- 1 tsp of colored red chili powder
- 1 tsp of garam masala powder
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp ghee clarified butter
Instructions
- Clean the prawns properly and cut them for marination.
- Marinate prawns with ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Keep them aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in a pan on a low to medium flame.
- Once hot, slide the marinated prawns one by one.
- Sauté them on both sides for about 2 minutes.
- Take them out on a plate when done.
- Add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to the same pan.
- Add the whole spices. Sauté them on medium heat for about 10 seconds or until you can smell their aroma.
- Add the onion paste. Fry till light brown.
- Add the tomato paste. (Pro tip: I prefer using tomato paste to store-bought puree. It renders the authentic taste).
- Then add the ginger-garlic paste.
- Add half a cup of thin, second-press coconut milk to prepare the gravy.
- Add ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder and the powdered spices and stir well.
- When oil separates from the paste and spice mixture, add the remaining coconut milk. (Pro Tip: I stir in the remaining coconut milk gently and let the gravy simmer rather than boiling it aggressively.
- After the gravy reduces a bit, add the fried prawns.
- Cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the garam masala powder and sugar.
- Simmer the curry for 5 minutes more until a creamy texture is achieved.
- Finish it off with 1 tsp of ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder. Chingri malai curry is ready.
