Prawn Ghee Roast

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Prawn Ghee Roast is a popular recipe that comes from Mangalore. Made by toasting and grinding whole spices and combining with Tamarind and quick Marinaded Prawns. This is the perfect dish  for the colder weather and is a very quick recipe to make.

Prawn Ghee Roast 

An aromatic, spicy dry curry made with curry leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, tamarind and more. This is a very quick recipe and is ideal for busy days/lives.

How to make Prawn Ghee Roast 

Marinate the prawns with the vinegar/lime juice, yoghurt, red chilli powder, turmeric and a pinch of salt.

Heat a pan over medium high and dry roast the coriander seeds, pepper corns, fenugreek, mustard, fennel and cumin. Grind to a powder.

Heat ghee in the same pan or a wok if you have one. 

Add curry leaves. 

Add crushed garlic and chillies.

Add spice powder (my blender isn’t working well, hence the coarse texture) and turn the heat down. Saute for 10 minutes. 

Add Prawns and cook for 5 minutes before adding Tamarind.

Add water if needed. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if you like.

Pour over remaining ghee.

How to serve

This make a really good starter but is also lovely served as a main or side with Biryani, Rice, Roti or Paratha.

For sides:

Kachumber Salad

Onion Raita

Storage

Prawn recipes are usually best eaten fresh. At a push, they can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.

As Prawns require very little cooking, reheating them usually makes them a little tougher. You can add a splash of water to a pan and reheat them slowly until warmed through. I would not recommend freezing or microwaving cooked prawns. 

Variations

• You can flash fry the prawns in ghee beforehand and then add them into the pan at the end for a couple of minutes.
• You can use vinegar or lime interchangeably in this recipe.
• I couldn’t get hold of the traditionally used Byadagi Chilli, so used extra dry red chillies but you can use it if you find it. Just use 1/2 of each type of chilli.

More Recipes you may like:

Chicken Sukka

South Indian Sambar – Vegan

South Indian Style Egg Curry

** if you make this recipe, please comment/tag us. thankyou. xx.

5 from 1 vote

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Prawn Ghee Roast

Prawn Ghee Roast is a popular recipe that comes from Mangalore. Made by toasting and grinding whole spices and combining with Tamarind and quick Marinaded Prawns. This is the perfect dish  for the colder weather and is a very quick recipe to make.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Sides, Starters

Cuisine Indian, Mangalore, South Indian

Keyword Mangalore Prawn Curry, Prawn Ghee Roast

Cook Time 20 minutes

Marinading 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 205 kcal

Author Safira

Ingredients

Prawn Marinade

• 250 g King Prawns Deveined, Without Shell
• 3 tbsp Plain Yoghurt
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Lime Juice
• Pinch Salt

Whole Spice Powder

• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 8 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
• ½ tsp Black Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• ¼ tsp Fennel Seeds

Remaining Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Ghee
• 15 Curry Leaves Fresh
• 8 cloves Garlic Crushed
• 1 tsp Green Chilli Paste or 1 Green Chilli finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
• Pinch of Sugar Optional
• Lime Juice

Instructions

1. Marinate the prawns with the ingredients listed underneath that heading above.

2. Heat a pan over medium high and dry roast the ingredients listed under 'whole spice powder' until aromatic and the mustard seeds begin to crackle. Place in a bowl to cool slightly then grind to a powder using a spice grinder.

3. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in the same pan or a wok if you have one. 

4. Add curry leaves. Stir for a minute.

5. Add crushed garlic and chillies. Saute for 1 minute.

6. Add spice powder (my blender isn't working well, hence the coarse texture) and turn the heat down. Saute for 10 minutes. 

7. Add Prawns and cook for 5 minutes before adding Tamarind and cooking for a further minute or two.

8. Add water if needed. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if you like.

9. Pour over remaining ghee and add a squeeze of lime juice.

Recipe Notes

Storage

Prawn recipes are usually best eaten fresh. At a push, they can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.

As Prawns require very little cooking, reheating them usually makes them a little tougher. You can add a splash of water to a pan and reheat them slowly until warmed through. I would not recommend freezing or microwaving cooked prawns. 

Variations

• You can flash fry the prawns in ghee beforehand and then add them into the pan at the end for a couple of minutes. 
• Prawns need very little time to cook so try to keep to the timing given above to avoid tough prawns. Smaller prawns will require less time. 
• You can use vinegar or lime interchangeably in this recipe.
• I couldn't get hold of the traditionally used Byadagi Chilli, so used extra dry red chillies but you can use it if you find it. Just use 1/2 of each type of chilli. Adjust quantities as per your preference.
• Getting the balance right is important in this recipe, so taste and adjust tartness/sourness/sweetness.

Nutrition Facts

Prawn Ghee Roast

Amount Per Serving

Calories 205 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 188mg63%

Sodium 497mg22%

Potassium 153mg4%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 157IU3%

Vitamin C 81mg98%

Calcium 152mg15%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.