Chingri Malai Curry is also commonly called Prawn Malai Curry. This is an iconic and extremely popular dish cooked in almost every Bengali kitchen.
This delicious dish looks awesome due to the ‘Malai’ or cream which comes from the coconut milk used in it.
It is not difficult to cook this iconic Bengali treat even though it may apparently seem so.
Just follow my simple instructions to cook this exquisite dish in your kitchen.
Key Takeaways:
- Prawn Malai Curry is an iconic Bengali dish known for its luscious and easy-to-cook nature.
- Marinate large-sized prawns with salt and turmeric powder, then sauté them until golden brown.
- Cook a mixture of onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, and tomato paste until flavors meld together.
- The creamy Prawn Malai Curry offers a mildly sweet and distinct taste due to the prawns. The coconut milk adds to the flavor and overall taste and the spices make it savory.
- If you want some alternatives to Prawn 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 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
- Tomato paste (1 large size tomato)
- Coconut milk (1 medium size glass )
- Whole spices (3 dry red chillies, 2 cinnamons, 5 cardamoms, 5 cloves and 1 tsp of cumin seeds)
- 1 and ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of chilli powder
- 1 tsp of coloured red chilli powder
- 1 tsp of garam masala
- 1 tsp of sugar
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil
- Ghee
How to Cook Chingri Malai Curry (Step by Step Images)?
1. Cleaned prawns ready for marination.
2. Marinate prawns with salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan.
4. Once hot, slide the prawns one by one.
5. Sauté them on both sides. The longer you fry prawns, the harder they become.
6. Take them out on a plate.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to the same pan.
8. Add the whole spices. Sauté them on medium heat.
9. Add onion paste. Fry till light brown.
10. Add tomato paste.
11. Add ginger-garlic paste.
12. Add half-cup of thin, second-press of coconut milk to prepare gravy.
13. Add salt, powdered spices and stir well.
14. When oil separates from the paste and spice mixture, add coconut milk.
15. After the gravy comes to a boil, add the prawns.
16. Cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 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. Enjoy it with steamed rice or Indian bread like roti.
Recipe Card
Chingri Malai Curry (Prawn Malai Curry)
Ingredients
- 6 pieces Large size prawns (cut and washed properly)
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 3 tablespoon Onion paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 1 piece Tomato (large tomato pasted)
- 3 pieces Dry red chillies
- 2 pieces Cinnamons
- 5 pieces Cardamoms
- 5 pieces Cloves
- 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
- 1.5 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Coloured red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Mustard oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
Instructions
- Cleaned prawns ready for marination.
- Marinate prawns with salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan.
- Once hot, slide the prawns one by one.
- Sauté them on both sides. The longer you fry prawns, the harder they become.
- Take them out on a plate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to the same pan.
- Add the whole spices. Sauté them on medium heat.
- Add onion paste. Fry till light brown.
- Add tomato paste.
- Add ginger-garlic paste.
- Add half-cup of thin, second-press of coconut milk to prepare gravy.
- Add salt, powdered spices and stir well.
- When oil separates from the paste and spice mixture, add coconut milk.
- After the gravy comes to a boil, add the prawns.
- Cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 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. Enjoy it with steamed rice or Indian bread like roti.
