Sri Lankan Prawn Curry with Arrack

Sri Lankan Prawn Curry with Arrack 

There are as many curries as clouds in the sky or stars in the universe! The base of most is some form of coconut. Fresh or dry, milk or cream, sometimes even just coconut water. The coconut flour to thicken and leave an aroma, the coconut oil to enhance the pungent notes of coconut. And then there is the Arrack liquor. A spirit distilled from the sap of the coconut flower. This is local to Sri Lanka but Arracks are also available from other countires  that are made up of fennel (and very liquorice, anise like in flavour, some almost bitter to the taste). 

While this curry tastes fine without any liquor, adding a teaspoon of the flowery kind of coconut Arrack gives it a unique touch, if you get the gentlest note of burning in the throat while eating this with freshly grated ginger rice, you are spot on! It was definitely one of the meals I most enjoyed on my Sri Lankan holiday.

Serves 6

1 tsp oil
4 sliced or diced shallots (long baby onions)
1/2 a fresh ground coconut
2 green chillies
Few sprigs of curry leaves
1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp green fennel powder
1 tsp sea salt
60 gm/2 oz cream coconut from a hard pack
1 cup water + more if needed
4 small pieces of green pandan leaf
1 tsp Arrack liquor
! tsp red chilli flakes
6 pieces of kokum 

400 gm/1 lb de-veined prawns, washed 


optional
2 tbsp Cashew butter or 1/4 cup cashews ground
Pinch of ground fenugreek
1 cup of coconut water
Pinch of white pepper powder

In a pan heat a teaspoon of oil, add the shallots and saute` them till translucent, soft and pale. On medium heat add the coconut and stir for a minute or two. Add the curry leaves, garlic, cumin, fennel and garam masala powders, giving it a quick stir after each addition. Add the cream of coconut. Add the water, bring it to a boil, cook for 10 minutes on a simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients, adjust for thickness by adding plain or coconut water, bring it to a boil again and cover, cook for 20 minutes on a simmer. Add the prawns cook for 7 minutes and serve with ginger rice. Ginger Rice.

Tips

Many of these ingredients can be over powering. Best to start with smaller amounts of white pepper and fenugreek as well as the Arrack.


Gin which is made up of Juniper Berries is the best substitute for the Arrack Liquor. Limoncello the Italian lemon liquor made with vodka is also worth a try.

Kokum is a dried fruit from the mangosteen family. It is dark red in colour and will be tart to the taste. It will be moist and tasty enough to eat once its cooked in the curry and re-hydrated.

This  curry is rough. Its thick and heavily textured and not at all smooth. 

Substituting red chilli powder for the chilli flakes will change the colour of the curry.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

Caldin

Caldin

A smooth and light curry made of coconut milk; infused with corriander and lime. Originally from Goa, the Caldin/Kaldin is a favourite fish curry. 

In Goa traditionally coconut milk is made from the flesh and water of the fresh coconut- sieved to keep it smooth. The natural sweetness from this process often gives it the nick name of a sweet curry. 

Thickened with either macerated onion or rice flour the caldin is delicately flavoured with fish bones and fish head being the star of this dish. Served with the typical goan bread or boiled rice, one could choose to pick from a variety of khichri, lemon rice  ginger rice or even coconut rice if preferred. 

Prawns and other seafood would taste good in this curry. Sometimes chicken is also substituted.

Fish Caldin

In a pan, heat 3 tbsp oil.

Add in and saute lightly :

6 green chillies (slit)

12 Curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp corriander powder

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

½ tsp tumeric

1 tsp salt 

Add in 2 cups of coconut milk.  

Grind together :

½ cup corriander leaves

¼ cup lemon juice

½ tsp sugar

2 tbsp rice flour

Add in and cook till curry is thick.

Add 1 lb/500 gm fish. Allow to gently simmer for 5 -7 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with rice.

Tips

Goans would generally add whole fish with bone and skin for flavour. Many with keep the head on too. 

Gram flour can be substituted for rice flour.

Curry leaves  can be substituted by 3 Kaffir Lime leaves.
If you need to thin it down using coconut water is a great option.

For more of these delicious recipes read all about Parsi Food in my book
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine. 

or click on

Niloufer's Kitchen: Quick and Easy

Photo courtesy Sheriar Hirjikaka

Fish Curry ~ Parsi Food

• Parsi Fish Curry

• Parsi food adores curries, particularly those with fish or prawns. Traditionally, it must be prepared with bone-in fish. Adding the whole fish is my personal favourite, as it adds to the flavour. The Western world, however, tends to eat fish fillets, and many are squeamish when served with a whole fish! Here I share my curry recipe with salmon fillets.

Smooth, deep and delicious the Parsi fish curry is hard to beat!

Serves 6 people

• 1kg/2.2 lbs fish
• 1 cup desiccated or freshly scraped Coconut
• 6 large flat dry red chillies
• 1 whole pod of fresh peeled garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 12 curry patta/ leaves
• 2  slit green chillies
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh tomato puree
•  1 tsp tamarind paste or kokum paste

• Grind together until fine, the coconut and red chillies. Now add the onion, garlic, sugar, salt and the coriander and cumin powders with the vinegar to make into a paste.

•  In a pan heat a tsp of oil and add turmeric curry patta/ leaves and the green chillies.

• Gently stir for a minute and add the curry paste. 

• Now add the water. Mix well, bring it to a boil, cover. Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Now add the fresh pureed tomatoes and the tamarind or kokum. Cover again and cook for another 30 minutes on a very low steam. 

• Add the fish and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Cover and close the stove. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve with freshly boiled steaming hot rice.

• Tips

• Substitute 1 cup of coconut water for water if you wish. 
• If you cannot get tamarind or kokum use the juice of one fresh lemon or lime.
• 2 tsp of chilli powder equals the 6 large flat dry chillies, however the chillies do give the colour and flavour.
• Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to make it creamier.

• My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

  The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

  The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

  Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala 

Comments
31st July 2018
A favourite made with Prawn/Shrimp