Chingri Maach Diye Aloo Phulkopir Dalna (Cauliflower and potato curry with Prawn )

So I had never had this in life. Each time we get prawns at home my dad wants me to make this and each time I side-track the request, because, well I never had it!!

However, this time I considered it and thought, what the heck. Let me try it out. So after a conference with my over-seas consultant (my aunt ). I tried it out and glad to report that the project landed successfully and was fully endorsed not only by my dad, but also by his son-in-law and grand-daughter.

Ingredients

1. 1 medium sized cauliflower cut into big florets
2. 10-12 medium sized prawns cleaned 
3. 3 medium sized potatoes cut into quarters
4. 1 medium tomato cut into quarters
5. 3,4 green chilies slit lengthwise
6. 1tbsp. ginger paste
7. 1 tbsp. coriander seeds paste or powder  (Tastes better with paste)
8. 1tsp. cumin (jeera) seeds paste or powder
9. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
10. 1tbsp. chili powder
11. 1 tsp. bengali garam masala powder
12. 1 tsp. ghee ( clarified butter )
13. 1 tsp. sugar
14. salt to taste
15. For Tempering
    1. 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
    2. 2 bay leaves
    3. 2-3 cloves
    4. 1” cinnamon stick
    5. 2-3 green cardamoms

Procedure

Wash prawn and pat them dry. Marinate with salt and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a pan or kadai till smoking and add prawns to fry them. Once they change the color remove and reserve it for later use.

Add cauliflower florets to the oil and fry them on medium heat till the florets take a light brown hue. Remove and drain them on a paper towel. Fry the potato quarters on medium heat till they turn golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

If you think the oil is too less after frying you can add little more and heat it up. Add all spices for tempering along with the green chilies. Once you get the nice aroma of the spices remove the fried green chilies and keep it reserved. This way you can retain the color of the chilies till the end of the cooking process after extracting the flavor in the oil.

Add fried potatoes and cauliflower to the aromatic oil along with ginger, coriander and cumin paste. Sauté them together on low heat till the raw smell of ginger goes away. You may need to add little water if you see the spices sticking to the bottom. Add quartered tomatoes to it followed by turmeric and chili powder. Fry them till the tomatoes are all nicely mushed up. Season with salt and sugar and give a nice mix. Add about a cup of water to it and allow it to simmer. Cook till the vegetables are done and the water quantity has been reduced to half.

Throw in the fried prawns and cook them together for a while. Overcooking makes the prawns rubbery, so avoid it. Add a dollop of ghee and sprinkle garam masala powder. Garnish with fried green chilies.

Goes well with roti, parantha, pulao.