Friday, March 19, 2010

Neeta's Prawns Hariyali from The Healthy Plate

 "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." - Charles Dickens
It was indeed one of those days, the sun was shining a cool breeze was blowing and it felt hot in the kitchen. I was pondering dinner possibilities when I stumbled over a package on my front door step. Filled with homemade treasures from the UK, my friend, Neeta of  The Healthy Plate had whipped of a few goodies and filled the box with wonderful treasures. 
Irish Smoked Oatcakes, Handmade Shortbread Biscuits with Chocolate and Orange were on top. Underneath were two beautiful packages tied with ribbon. Inside were were handmade fruit rolls tasting of mango, banana, pineapple, blueberry, cardamom and nutmeg. 
Under layers of tissue I found Almond bars made with coconut, seeds and banana. My daughter began devouring the almond bars. She has threatened to hide them from the rest of us. 
I also found 2 jars of handmade spreads, one Almond butter with cayenne and honey the other Hazelnut and cashew butter with dark chocolate. Both are rich and flavorful. As Katy said "Heaven on the end of a spoon".  When I sat down to write a Thank You note, I remembered the Hariyali Shrimp recipe that Neeta had posted and I thought the perfect dinner for a Summer/ Winter day. A little heat, a little sweet, a taste of the sun and sea. An Indian inspired dinner was the perfect end to this Dicken's day. .
The recipe calls for a number of things I didn't have, curry leaves, Garam Masala, ginger and garlic paste and dessicated coconut. With the help of my friend Natasha I was able to navigate the Indian grocery in Elmsford and buy all the appropriate items. (I usually borrow Indian spices from Natu, but I think it's high time I bought my own supply. Natasha, I think you'll agree.)
 
Curry leaves turned out to have a bit of a bite and an unusual fragrance. They really give the Hirali a lift. Seek out fresh ones if you can. Neeta says they can be omitted.
These are fresh curry leaves. Natasha tells me that leftover leaves can be frozen.
I served the Prawns Hariyali with basmati rice, raita and garlic naan. It was a meal fit for a Mahārāja.
 I copied the recipe directly from Neeta's blog. But have a look yourself and you will find recipes of the goodies in my box.


750 gm uncooked Prawns ( I used one pound)
2 tablespoons Oil
2 Onions - finely chopped
1 big tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
1 teaspoon ground black Pepper
1 tablespoon Cumin powder
3 tablespoons dessicated Coconut ( I used unsweetened shredded)
2 cups Green Paste
2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon sea salt or more if required
Lemon Juice

Green Paste :

Fresh Coriander, Fresh Mint, Curry leaves
Ratio of 1 : 1/4 : 1/4
Process all together to make a thick paste,
adding a little water as needed.

Prawns Hariyali :

Heat the oil in a deep pan,
saute the chopped onions till they change color
and become light brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry on gentle heat.
Add all the dry spice powders, salt and a drizzle of water just
to keep it very lightly moist.
Saute it all together for a couple of minutes.
Add the dessicated coconut and fry for another 2 minutes.
Then add the Green paste and fry together till all
the ingredients are cooked, nothing remains raw.
Finally add the uncooked prawns and mix gently till
the prawns are coated with the Green Masala.
Let it simmer till the prawns are cooked,
Be careful not to over cook the prawns or else
they get rubbery and lose their right texture and taste.
Add lemon juice to garnish before serving.
 
The post before the Prawns Hariyali, Neeta had awarded me the Happy 101 and The Sunshine Badge. It was in the Happy Sunshine Post where she suggested we keep these two awards together. I agree, it's a great idea Neeta!.
Here are the rules, You are required to list 10 things that make you happy  and try to do one today. Award 10 other bloggers that brighten your day and bring you sunshine. The 10 bloggers receiving the award must link back to my blog. 


The things that make me happy?


My children:-), Friends, Traveling, Cooking, Photography, Books, Writing, Knitting, Learning new things and Blogging!
I pass these two awards onto;
                                 Monique at La Table de Nana 
                                 Hungry Dog
                                 Kathy at Sweet up North Mornings

 All of these blogs make me smile again and again. Thanks everyone!
I've been so remiss in my blogging I've missed being a part of The Saturday Blog Showcase. Hosted by Ann at Thibeault's Table and Lori at All that Splatters, visit and have a look at what's cooking this Saturday.


All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef

15 comments:

  1. Your prawns are gorgeous. Also many congratulations on your awards. I hope you have a sunny and wonderful weekend.

    Thank you so much for stopping by my kitchen. It's very nice to meet you and it looks like we have a lot in common. I'm a Francophile too.
    Sam

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  2. Pam! Thank you for the award! I love the idea. ANd I love this post. First of all, that photo of the shrimp against the fuchsia table cloth belongs on a magazine cover. Period. Second, how fun to get a box of goodies from a "friend"--and what a box it was! Second, I always like reading a little about the person behind the blog and what makes you happy. Good list!

    Have a great day!

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  3. Hungry Dog, Thanks! You deserve the award. You are a good writer and I always enjoy reading your post. Can't wait to see what makes you happy.
    Pam

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  4. That prawns dish sounds so good with the spices and curry leaves! and the package too is nothing to sneer at!

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  5. Pam, your picture of my Prawns Hariyali is totally fabulous - Wow!!!
    Glad you all enjoyed the goodies :-)
    Have a lovely weekend xoxox

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  6. What an unusual assortment of goodies & such a nice gift! I know you will make wonderful recipes using them.
    Your prawns photo is positively luminous with the light shining through the lime slices! Beautifully presented & a very unique sounding dish. Bravo!

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  7. First of all, congratulations on your well deserved awards! And thank you so much for passing on the awards to me. I'm honored! Let's go back to the prawns, shall we! They sound terrific with all those spices. I can imagine how your kitchen going to smell like. Hmm..mm....
    How nice of Neeta sending you all those lovely treats! I think your girl is the luckiest one, isn't she! hahaha...
    Have a nice weekend!
    Regards,
    Kristy

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  8. Congrats on awards, and food looked great!

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  9. That is so wonderful!!! Thanks for the award.. I would have given it to Jain and Monique but that would be double-dipping!

    You have a great blog that is full of warmth and goodness... you do deserve the sunshine award. I will do it on my next post which is bright and happy. The prawns are lovely to look at and that box of goodies is too perfect and so beautifully done.

    Thanks to blogging I'm hoping to get to Oxford this summer for the food symposium... who would have imagined this a year ago!! I'm sure that will be on my sunshine list.

    Thanks again for the lovely thought and award and I can't wait to visit the blogs you mentioned that I do not know!

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  10. Congratz on your awards! What a great box of goodies too.

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  11. What an inspiring box of goodies from Neeta, Pam! And you certainly put it to good use.
    I love all the trouble you went to with this dish...I'm really impressed. And it looks delicious!
    (Congratulations on your awards too!)

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  12. Wow, this was a great post, Pam, full of great information and lots of fun! Well done to you also on your lovely awards. You sure do deserve them!

    Hope that you have a wonderful Easter week.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  13. I so have to try the prawns....my mouth is watering and I am full!!

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  14. So nice! I wish your entries would pop up on my blogroll..look how late I am:( Happy Easter!

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  15. What a wonderful looking dish. It looks so fresh and full of colour.
    *kisses* HH

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