Prawns are a personal favorite. Over the past so many months, this column has produced many prawn related recipes. To add to the list is this wonderful Sri Lankan style curry or at least my version of it.

While nearly all elements of this recipe are similar to a local curry recipe, I have substituted spring onions instead of regular onions. During my rice and curry era I discovered that spring onions (including its green leaves) are fabulous in curries.

The zest it punches in is fantastic.

If you are one of those eaters who don’t mind added green to your curry, I insist that you try this slightly twisted version of your regular prawn curry. You won’t regret it.

Ingredients:

400g of Prawns
50 g of Spring Onions
2 Green Chilies
2 cloves of Garlic
1 cup of Coconut Milk
½ of Lime
½ tsp of grated ginger
Curry leaves
1 tsp of Dil Seeds
Chili powder (Roasted)
Chili Flakes
Curry Powder (Roasted)
Tumeric
Pepper
Salt
Vegetable oil

Directions:

Wash, Clean and devein Prawns.

Juice the lime over the prawns; add a teaspoon of chili powder and 2 teaspoons of turmeric and leave to marinate.

Wash, clean, fine dice spring onions (including its zesty leaves).

Slice the green chilies thickly, mince the garlic cloves and set aside.

Heat up a teaspoon of vegetable oil with the Dil seeds in a heavy based pan.

Add the garlic, ginger and two teaspoons of Chili flakes in to the pan.

Add in the chopped up spring onions (and leaves), green chilies, curry leaves and sauté for five minutes.

Once the onions have fried, add the prawns with two teaspoons of salt and pepper, mix for only minute.

Then add a tablespoon of curry powder and two teaspoons of Chili powder and combine well.

When the prawns start to turn pink, immediately add in the coconut milk.

Stir and let it cook for a couple of minutes and then let it simmer.

Disasters, Warnings and Tips:

I had this with stringhoppers, potato curry and sambol. YUM!

Prawns cook incredibly fast, be careful not to overcook it.

The measurements for the spices are speculative, increase and decrease as you see fit.

You know your prawns are overcooked if they are hard and rubbery.

I use Maggie coconut milk powder. I’m lazy like that.

Coconut milk tends to wash off. After you’ve added the milk you may need to add more curry powder in as well.

I love prawns. I hate deveining them.

To remove off the raw prawn stench off your hands, clean your hands with a piece of lime.

By Shazzana Hamid