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Chingri Maacher Malaikari

Chingri Maacher Malakari (Prawn Malaikari)

Chingri maachher malaikari, prawns cooked in coconut milk, is a delectable Bengali dish, without which a Bengali feast is hardly considered complete.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bengali

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Tiger Prawns
  • 1 big onion , grated
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 green chillies , slit
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut , grated
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 3.5 tbsp mustard oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • De-shell and clean the prawns carefully, keeping the tails intact. Rub the prawns with a little turmeric powder and salt. Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a frying pan till smoking hot. Cool the oil. Add the prawns and fry till light golden (be careful not to over fry the prawns). Keep aside.
  • Lightly crush the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a mortar and pestle. Add remaining oil in the same pan, add the bay leaf and the ground spices and stir till the spices release their aroma.
  • Add the onion and ginger pastes and fry on a low flame till they turn golden brown. Add the sugar, turmeric powder and chilli powder and saute until oil is released from the fried masala. (Splash a little water if the spice mixture is getting a bit too dry)
  • Lower the flame and add the coconut milk while continuous stirring. (You wouldn't want the coconut milk to curdle, so continuous stirring is imperative). Add 1/2 cup of warm water. Bring the curry to a light simmer and add the fried prawns.
  • Cover and cook on a low flame till the prawns are cooked. Add the slit green chillies and salt to taste. Once the gravy thickens, add the grated coconut and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder.
  • Serve hot with rice.