Mushroom and Prawn Malai Curry

 

Mushroom and Prawn Malai Curry is a variation to the famous Bengali recipe ‘Chingri Macher Malai Curry’ which is prawn in coconut milk curry. Mushrooms and prawns together are a great hit! Both being so distinct in its flavour yet complimenting each other so well in this mouthwatering delicacy.

A Prawn and Mushroom Malai curry is a popular, quick-cooking dish that combines succulent, tender prawns with earthy, savory mushrooms, often in a creamy, aromatic coconut-based sauce.

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Important Notes and Tips:

 The key to success is to avoid overcooking the prawns, which turns them rubbery. 

 Prawn Preparation and Cooking:

 Cleaning: Thoroughly wash, peel, and devein the prawns for food safety and better texture.

Do not overcook.  Prawns cook incredibly fast. Depending on size, they only need 2–5 minutes in the simmering curry. Once they turn opaque and form a "C" shape, they are done.

Marinate prawns for 10-15 minutes with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to enhance flavor and tenderize.

Frozen Prawns: If using frozen, thaw them completely and drain excess water before adding to the curry, otherwise, the dish will become diluted. 

Mushroom Tips: Varieties: Button or chestnut mushrooms work best for their texture and ability to absorb flavors.

Preparation: Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth or quick wash, then cut them into halves or quarters.

Cooking: Sauté mushrooms with ginger, garlic, and onions until they release their water and soften before adding the liquid gravy ingredients. 

Serve Mushroom and Prawn Malai Curry with hot steamed rice and Beetroot Tambuli for a delicious meal.

(What is Beetroot Tambuli  - it is a popular, refreshing, and nutritious curd-based side dish from Karnataka, India, often described as a hybrid between a raita and a light chutney. It is made by grinding cooked or steamed beetroot with coconut, cumin, and green chilies, then blending this mixture with yogurt and finishing with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies.)

To replace Prawns for a Vegan Dish : In prawn malai curry, vegetables that pair well with mushrooms to complement the creamy coconut base include peas, carrots, bell peppers, baby corn, and spinach. These ingredients should be simmered until tender, adding texture and color to the rich curry.

To Create the Curry Base:

Aromatics: Use a base of onions, ginger, and garlic, sautéed until the onions are golden brown for maximum flavor.

 Coconut Cream/Milk: Coconut milk is essential for richness. Add it at the end and simmer gently—do not boil rapidly once the milk is added, as it can separate.

Tanginess: Add a souring agent like tamarind paste or kokum to balance the richness of the coconut. Lemon juice can also be added at the end for a fresh, tangy finish.

Roast the Masala: Ensure the onion-tomato masala base is cooked well until the oil separates from the mixture to avoid a raw taste. 

 Flavor Enhancers and Consistency:

Spices: Key spices include turmeric, coriander powder, cumin, garam masala, and chili powder (Kashmiri for color, hotter varieties for heat).

Curry Leaves: Fresh curry leaves provide an authentic aroma, especially in South Indian-style curries.

 

Thickening: To get a thicker "bhuna" style curry, allow the gravy to reduce well before adding the prawns.

Optional Ingredients: Cashew nut paste can be added for extra creaminess. 

 Serving Suggestions:

Prawn and mushroom curry pairs best with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, or traditional bread like naan, roti, or paratha.

 

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime. 

  

Time: Prep: 10 min

Cook: 40 min

Total: 50 min

Makes: 3 servings

Meal: Lunch

 Cuisine: Bengali

 

Ingredients:

 250 grams Prawns

250 grams Button mushrooms

1 Tomato paste

1 Onion paste

1 inch Ginger paste

5 cloves Garlic paste

1 Green Chillies paste

3 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds

5 Cloves (Laung)

1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

2 Bay leaf (tej patta)

Half tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi)

Half tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)

Salt, Red Chilli powder and sugar, as per taste

1 tbsp Curd (Dahi / Yogurt)

Half cup Coconut milk

A few fresh curry leaves (optional)

2 tbsp Mustard oil for frying

3 tbsp Mustard oil for gravy

1 tbsp Ghee for gravy

A few mint leaves and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish

 

Method:

To begin making the Mushroom and Prawn Malai Curry recipe, firstly clean the prawns and marinate with turmeric and salt for half to one hour. 

Heat oil in kadai and lightly fry prawns till they turn golden. Keep aside.

Clean the mushroom, cut them lengthwise, stir fry them for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside.

To the kadai, add mustard oil and ghee, to this add cardamom, clove, cinnamon stick, jeera and bay leaves.

As soon as the fragrance of the masalas rises, add onion paste. Once the onion starts browning, add ginger paste, garlic paste followed by tomato and chilli paste.

Add sugar, salt, turmeric and jeera powder and curd. Keep stirring till the oil separates from the masala.

Then add coconut milk and simmer it covered for about 10 minutes.

In between check if the mixture dries up, add little water or coconut milk.

Mix the prawns and mushrooms and simmer for five more minute.

Turn off the stove, sprinkle some garam masala powder and keep it covered for 10 to 15 minutes in the kadhai.

Serve Mushroom and Prawn Malai Curry with hot steamed rice and Beetroot Tambuli for a delicious meal.

Enjoy!

 

Parsans Kitchen

 

 

Punjabi Balti Mutton

 Punjabi Balti meat (or Balti Gosht) is a popular, aromatic, and semi-dry curry originating from the British Indian restaurant scene, specifically Birmingham, UK, in the mid-1970s. While it takes inspiration from the northern Pakistani/Kashmiri region (Baltistan), it was developed to suit Western palates by offering a fast-cooked, flavorful, and less heavy alternative to traditional curries.

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Important Notes:

 

Spices - Most of the spices used can be bought at supermarket Asian aisle. 

Lamb - Instead of lamb you can use beef, mutton, chicken or pork and create your favourite Balti curry. 

Tomato - Use vine-ripened tomatoes or tinned chopped tomatoes. 

Cooking time can be slightly varied depending on the lamb cut and cookware. It usually takes about 45 minutes to one and half hours to become tender. 

Use a heavy bottom pot which is best for slow cooking recipes.

 

How to serve this dish? You can simply serve with plain basmati rice, pulao rice, naan, garlic naan, chapati, or flatbread. Add Indian-style onion and tomato salad on the side. 

For Vegetarian Balti you can use the following:

Raw Jackfruit (Kathal): Considered one of the best substitutes for mutton.

Soya Chunks/Soya Chaap, Mushrooms, Paneer - while softer, paneer is excellent for absorbing curry flavors and works well if fried before adding to the gravy.

 

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British Indian, Indian

 

Ingredients:

500 g Boneless lamb 

3-4 Onion Shallot onion or brown onion

4 cloves Garlic Finely grated/paste

1 tbsp Ginger Finely grated/paste

2-3 Ripened tomatoes

2 tbsp Oil Vegetable

1 tbsp Ghee 

Salt and Red Chilli Powder as per taste

2 tbsp Yoghurt or plain full fat yoghurt

3-4 Green chilli cut half lengthways

1 & Half cup Water Warm water, add more water if needed

Handful Coriander roughly chopped

Half tsp Garam masala to add in the finishing

 

Spices:

2-3 Bay leaves

4-5 Green cardamom

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Garam masala

Half tsp Coriander powder

 

Method:

 

Heat the large heavy-bottom saucepan into medium heat, drizzle vegetable oil and ghee. Once the ghee is melted, add bay leaves, cardamom, cumin seeds and sauté for a few seconds.

 

Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Follow with the grated garlic, ginger and stir well until the onions are slightly brown.

 

Next add the lamb pieces and continue stir until the meat is no longer pink.

Then add the spices, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, salt and red chilli powder as per taste.

 

Cook for another 1-2 minutes and add the chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are soft and reduced.

 

Next pour the water in and bring it to simmer. Close and lid and cook with low-medium heat for 45 mins to 1 hour until the lamb is soft and tender. Give a good stir occasionally.

Now stir in yoghurt and continue cook for another 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle garam masala, chopped coriander and fresh green chillies.

Serve hot with tandoori roti, you can also simply serve with plain basmati rice, pulao rice, naan, garlic naan, chapatti, or flatbread. Add Indian-style onion and tomato salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Amritsari Dhaba Prawn Curry

 

Amritsari Dhaba Prawn Curry is a rustic, high-flavour dish that brings the bold, roadside culinary traditions of Punjab’s highways to a beloved seafood delicacy. Unlike delicate, creamy curries, the dhaba-style prawn curry is known for its thick, spicy, and slightly coarse masala, often cooked in a heavy-bottomed wok (kadhai) until the oil separates and coats every piece of the seafood.

 

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Important Tips when cooking prawns:

The best, most impactful tip - do NOT overcook the prawns! Prawns become rubbery, flavourless and dry from overcooking. Prawns only need 5 minutes to cook through, going up to a maximum of ten minutes for king prawns. 

Additionally, they don't need to be simmered with the lid on. A quick, high-heat sauté with the lid off is the best way to ensure optimal flavour and texture. 

Aside from that delicious little bite it gives, the crunchy texture and that natural taste of the sea it has, the love about prawns is how quick and easy they are to cook.

Raw prawns take approximately 5 odd minutes to cook through, meaning dinner can literally be on the table in a couple of minutes with very little hard work! 

Make this flavor-packed Amritsari Dhaba Prawn Curry (Prawn Masala) in under 30 minutes.

Serve it with any Indian bread or rice for a hearty meal. They go well with a fresh roti, naan of any kind and alongside rice too with a side salad too

If you would like to serve this alongside another curry, something vegetarian such as Achari Aloo Ki Bhujia, Bhindi or even Tadka Dal.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes 

Total: 30 minutes 

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients: 

For The Marination:

500 g medium-sized shrimp cleaned and deveined

Salt and Kashmiri red chilli powder as per taste

1 tbsp lime juice

For The Curry:

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

Half cup pureed fresh tomatoes

Half cup yogurt (dahi, curd) (whisked)

2 tsp coriander powder

Half tsp cumin powder

Half tsp  turmeric powder

Half tsp Garam masala powder

Salt and Kashmiri red chili powder as per taste

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

4 tbsp oil

Method:

Marinate The Shrimp:

Rinse clean and devein the Prawns and drain well.

Mix Prawns, salt, chili powder, and lime juice in a bowl and keep aside.

Sear the Prawns: Heat 1 tbsp of oil and ghee in a kadhai. Sear the prawns on high heat for 30–40 seconds per side. Remove immediately to prevent them from turning rubbery.

Make the Curry:

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Add onions and cook until they turn light brown, stirring frequently.

Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the onions are dark brown. Stir frequently while cooking.

Now add tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously and vigorously to prevent the yogurt from curdling.

Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Mix the marinated and seared shrimp and half cup of hot water in the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add more water if you like a thinner gravy. Check for salt and add more if needed.

Add garam masala powder and cilantro and mix well. Serve hot.

Serve it with a fresh roti, naan of any kind and alongside rice too for a hearty meal with a side salad too

You can also serve with vegetarian Achari Aloo Ki Bhujia, Bhindi or even Tadka Dal.