Bengal Shrimps

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs shrimp, raw, headless, largest you can get
• oil (for frying)
• 1 onion, medium, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder, mild and spicy
• 1 tablespoon spices (as described in introduction)
• 7 ounces tinned chopped tomatoes (1 can)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup coconut cream (1/2 can, more or less)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• salt (if possible, a trusty seasoned salt)
• 1 tablespoon lime zest or 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 if the prawns are not cleaned, peel and devein them, and rinse in a colander. it's better to buy a little more than specified above! prawns/shrimps shrink a lot in cooking. (do not buy cooked prawns as they will simply overcook).
• 2 if using fresh tomatoes, peel and chop them, and peel and chop the onion.
• 3 heat a generous film of oil in a large pot. when hot, add the onion, stir, and let soften over fairly high heat.
• 4 bash your choice of whole spices in a mortar and pestle -- just to crush them coarsely. when onion has fried about 5 minutes, add the curry powder and the tablespoon bashed whole spices.
• 5 stir well, let spices fry -- not burn! -- for about two minutes, to bring out their flavours. stir a few times.
• 6 add the tomatoes and sugar to the pot, and let them sauté with the spices and onion for about a minute, stirring a couple of times.
• 7 add the raw prawns all at once, over fairly high heat; stir through very well but gently, so all the prawns pick up some of the spices and tomato.
• 8 add the coconut cream, and then the fish and oyster sauce.
• 9 stir to mix, gently, then bring to a boil. cook for about 3 - 5 minutes, depending on size of the prawns. do not overcook. when the prawns turn pink and curl up, they are done. add the lemon/lime zest and lemon/lime juice; stir again.
• 10 taste the sauce off the heat: it might need salt. if the taste is very mild, you could add a few drops chilli pepper sauce.
• 11 serve with rice and a mixed green salad, or serve in bowls with a continental-type bread.