Chingri malai curry is the Bengali dish of choice for a son-in-law on jamai sasthi or for any guest worth impressing. The 'malai' refers to coconut cream rather than dairy, and some food historians link the name to Malay traders who brought coconut-based cooking to the eastern coast. Golda chingri, the big freshwater scampi with blue-orange heads, are the traditional prawn.
The curry is mild, rich and faintly sweet. The prawn heads are left on because the fat inside them colours and flavours the gravy, and whole garam masala in ghee gives the warm aroma Bengalis expect. Unlike southern coconut curries it uses no curry leaves or tamarind; the balance is between sweetness, gentle heat from green chillies and the richness of coconut milk.
At a glance
| Region | West Bengal |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Bengali |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 25 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | prawns / coconut milk / onion / ghee |
Ingredients
For the prawns
- 8 large golda prawns or 500 g tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, heads and tails on
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 green cardamoms, lightly crushed
- 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large onion, ground to a paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
- 3 green chillies, slit
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
Method
- Rub the cleaned prawns with turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the prawns for 1 minute per side until they just turn pink and curl. Remove; they will finish cooking in the gravy.
- In the same pan add the remaining mustard oil and ghee. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
- Add the onion paste and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and it turns light golden.
- Add ginger paste, turmeric and chilli powder with a splash of water. Cook for 2 minutes until the oil starts separating.
- Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously so it does not split. Add salt, sugar and the slit green chillies and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.
- Return the prawns to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes, spooning gravy over them, until the prawns are cooked through and the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle garam masala and add a final teaspoon of ghee. Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Keep the heads on and press them gently while cooking – the orange fat inside is what gives the gravy its colour.
- Never boil hard once the coconut milk is in, or it will curdle and turn grainy.
- Overcooked prawns turn rubbery; take them off the heat as soon as they are opaque in the centre.
Serve with
Plain steamed rice or ghee bhaat, with a slice of lime.