PRAWNS Or SHRIMP FRY Or KONJU FRY

PRAWNS Or SHRIMP FRY Or KONJU FRY: Prawns has always been one of my favourite sea foods. This is a very simple and easy recipe. The biggest problem with prawns is their cleaning. I always prefer fresh prawns to frozen one. My mother makes a variety of dishes with prawns like fry, theeyal, curry, fried rice, pickle, etc.... This is one of her recipes.

Prawns are known for their calcium and protein content. It helps in fighting cancers due to their high selenium content. It has high omega 3 fatty acids and also has vitamin B12. But it has high cholesterol levels. So people with cholesterol problems should consume less.

So, off to our recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Prawns – 250 Gms cleaned

Corn flour – 1 tablespoon

Red Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Pepper – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Garam masala powder – ¼ tablespoon

Fennel powder – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a sprig

Lime juice of 1 small lime

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Water to make a paste

METHOD:

Make a smooth paste of - corn flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder, fennel powder, curry leaves along with salt and water. Taste the paste lightly and ensure it has right amount of spice and salt. Add the shrimps and mix well. Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add the prawns one by one using a spoon. Fry both sides till golden brown. Serve Hot!!!!!!!!!!!

NB: You may use rice flour or maida instead of corn flour. But corn flour gives the right crunch.

Do not fry for long as the prawn would become rubbery. 

To clean prawns, dip them in water. Take a prawn; twist its head and pull. The head comes out. Next, start opening its shell from the bottom, near the head area. Tighten two fingers on the tail area, right after the place where the flesh ends. Pull the flesh from the other side. You will get the complete flesh out without breaking them. 

HORSE GRAM Or MUTHIRA Or GAHAT CURRY

HORSE GRAM Or MUTHIRA Or GAHAT CURRY: The word Muthira reminds me of my mother’s words – “Muthira thinal kuthira pole aakum”. All I knew then was if I eat Horse gram I will end up being strong like a horse. I did not really know that it is one of the major food given to horses or rather a cattle feed. But it tastes good. This is one of the beans which are widely used in southern parts of India. But it is lesser known in other parts of the world.

Horse Gram is known to even have medicinal properties. The seed coat has anti oxidant properties. So consume with the seed coat. It is good diet for diabetic people as it reduces the insulin resistance. And as a bean it has high amounts of proteins in it. It is definitely a good choice for adults and kids alike. It goes well with rotis and rice. 

My mother has always cooked it as thoran recipe. But since I like curries more, I tried it in a new way and it ended up being a good one. So let us move on to our super simple recipe. I have cooked it with no oil. You may use oil if required.

INGREDIENTS:

Horse Gram, Soaked – 1 cup

Red Onion – 1 small

Tomato – 1

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Chilli powder – ¼ tablespoon

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil – ½ table spoon (optional)

Water

METHOD:

Soak the horse gram for around 4 hours. Take a pressure cooker and add all the other ingredients with enough water to cover all the ingredients and cook. One to two whistles on low heat should be enough. Mix well and serve!

NB: You may add oil along with the other ingredients before cooking. 

Add more water and boil. if you want it to be watery.