Kochu pata Chingri - Prawns with Colocasia leaves

We have this Bangladeshi restaurant in Kolkata named Kasturi where we have tasted this delicious dish for the first time. Here the prawns are cooked with kochu pata or young colocasia leaves with coconut and mustard paste. Flavor of Mustard oil is very dominant in this dish and you have to be really really careful about the leaves, since colocasia leaves may give you an itchy throat. In a nutshell, a dish not for the faint hearted.  

Ingredients

• Colocasia / Kochu leaves - finely chopped, 2 cups
• Green chilli and mustard paste - 3 tbsp
• Prawns - 200 gm, cleaned and deveined
• Desiccated coconut - 2 tbsp
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Salt, turmeric
• Mustard oil - 4-5 tbsp, more, if required

Boil the colocasia leaves in hot water and then discard the water. This is a mandatory step to omit the itchiness of the throat. Now pour mustard oil in a pan. Lightly fry the prawns with a pinch of salt and turmeric and keep aside.

Remove the prawns, then in the same oil add the mustard paste, sugar, salt and turmeric, Fry quickly.

Now add chopped leaves which were steamed in the hot water.

Stir it to mix with the masalas, then add the fried prawns.

Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk and desiccated coconut.

Cover and cook till the milk dries up and oil starts coming out the sides. Adjust the seasoning. Switch off the heat and then pour one or two tbsp of mustard oil more over it. Keep covered for some time. Sprinkle some more desiccated coconut and serve with plain rice.
You may add some more chopped green chillies, if you can handle the heat. Enjoy !!

Narkol Posto Chingri

This dish is a combination of two of the Bengali delicacies, prawn and posto or poppy seed paste. The gravy is made using onions and desiccated coconut, then it was given a nutty flavor with 'posto bata' or poppy seed paste. When the gravy is almost done, we  I have dunked the lightly sauteed prawns into the gravy and given it a nice bath.. Delicious with a plate of steamed rice.

Ingredients

• Prawns - 500 gms cleaned and shelled
• Potato 1, cubed
• Onion - 2 , finely chopped
• Dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
• Poppy seed paste - 3 tbsp
• Green chille - as per taste
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Salt, turmeric, sugar - a pinch

Make a paste of poppy seed along with green chilli. Keepp it aside.

In a wok, fry the potato cubed with some salt and turmeric. Keep aside.

In the same pan, fry the prawns till golden.

In the same wok, add some more mustard oil. Then add chopped onion with a pinch of salt and sugar and fry till golden brown. The sugar will enhance the color of the dish.

Next add salt, turmeric, kashmiri chilli powder mixed in some water. Let the water evaporate.

Add the desiccated coconut and fry over low flame.

Add the poppy seed paste and nicely incorporate into the masala.

Add the potatoes and 1 cup of hot water. Let it boil.

When potatoes are almost done, add the fried prawns and cook for some more minutes till the potatoes are well done. Be careful not to overcook the prawn,or else, it will turn rubbery.

At the end sprinkle some garam masala powder and keep covered for 10 minutes.

Enjoy as a leisurely Sunday lunch over a plateful of steamed rice. Pure bliss !!!

Pumpkin Prawns

This is a family recipe, which we really relish with a plateful of rice. Sweet pumpkins are cooked and mashed with masalas, then there are bits of prawns, which provides a nice texture. 

Ingredients

• Prawns - 300 gm, shelled and deveined
• Pumpkin - a wedge, chopped into bite size pieces
• Potato - 1, optional
• Onion - 2, chopped, 1, made into paste
• Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Green chilli - as per taste
• Salt, turmeric, kashmiri chilli powder
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Mustard oil

Marinate the prawns with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Then fry them a little and keep aside.

In the same pan, add chopped onion, when they turned brown, add the ground onion and fry well.

Add the garlic paste along with chopped green chilli and saute well.

Next goes all the ground masalas with a sprinkle of water.

When masalas are sauteed well, add the cubed pumpkin and mix well with the masalas.

Add a sprinkle of water and then cook covered till the pumpkins are cooked well.

When pumpkins are almost mashed, and oil is coming out, add the fried prawns. 

Continue cooking till the prawns are cooked through and all ingredients are mixed well. Sprinkle a spoonful of sugar. Check the salt. 

Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander. 

Cashew Coconut Prawn

Tired of cooking 'Prawn Malaicurry'? Try this royal cashew coconut prawn to satisfy your tastebud !! On this auspicious day of 'Bhai Phota' or 'Bhai Duj' I am dedicating this dish to all my brothers.

Ingredients

• Golda Chingri - 8 pcs
• Onion -2, medium, chopped
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Cashewnut - 2 tbsp, soak in water
• Coconut Powder - 2 tbsp
• Green chillies - as per taste
• Whole Cumin - a pinch
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt, Turmeric, Sugar - as per taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Kishmish / Raisin - 1 tbsp

Clean and devein the prawns and then marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric. Make a paste of soaked cashew nut and coconut powder and keep aside.

Fry the marinated prawns in mustard oil. Keep aside.

In the same oil, add whole cumin and slitted green chilli. Stir for 30 seconds.

Then add chopped onion, Once it is browned, add ginger garlic paste and mix well.

When masalas are fried, add salt, kasmiri chilli powder, sugar and turmeric with a splash of water. Then add cashew coconut paste and mix with the masala quickly.

Add a cup of hot water. When it starts boiling, add the fried prawns. Mix gently.

Add some more green chilli and soaked raisins and let it cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat.

Once the prawns are cooked, adjust the seasoning and remove from heat. add 1 tbsp of ghee and keep covered for a standing time of 10 minutes.

Serve the delicious prawns with steamed rice.