Easy Prawns Roast (Chemmeen Ularthiyathu)

Prawns Ularthiyathu is a one pot dish with the slight tanginess from the Malabar Tamarind and a mild balance with the spiciness from the masalas. It is prepared by mixing all ingredients together and slow cooking it on medium flame and then increasing the flame and slightly roasting it till fully cooked. 

This is a dish native to the backwater regions of Kerala where seafood is quite famous in their cuisine. The flavour of the dish is enhanced by cooking it in a earthern pot and also by the use of generous amounts of curry leaves, coconut oil and coconut strips added as well. Slow cooking at first helps in the prawns soaking in the flavours. 

Recipe 

Ingredients 

Prawns cleaned and deveined – 500 grams 

For marination 

Shallots – 1/2 cup

Onion – 1 medium finely chopped 

Green chillies – 2 in no slit vertically 

Coconut strips – 1/4 cup 

Curry leaves – 1-2 sprigs

Crushed garlic – 2 tbsp 

Crushed ginger – 1 tbsp 

Kudampuli (Malabar Tamarind) – 2 pieces washed well before adding

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp 

Coriander powder – 1 tsp 

Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tbsp 

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp 

Crushed black pepper powder – 1 tsp 

Salt – to taste 

Coconut oil – 1 tbsp 

For cooking later 

Water – 1/2 cup 

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp 

Steps

• Marinate the cleaned prawns with the  ingredients listed under marinade for minimum 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

• Heat a kadai or an earthern pot/Manchatti and add in the marinated prawns to this and add in water and cook on medium flame for 5-8 minutes or till water is used up.

• When the water is used up the prawns are almost cooked and now add in rest of the coconut oil and increase the flame slightly and start roasting it till it’s cooked well. Keep stirring in between so that it doesn’t get burnt.

• Switch off flame when the colour changes to darker brown and till the masala is nicely coated on the prawns. 

• Serve hot