Chingri Macher Malai Curry -The Asian Age

Ingredients

* Jumbo prawns or lobsters, with the skin over the heads and tails being intact (deveined): 4 (medium-sized)
* Freshly scraped coconut paste: ¾ cup
* Turmeric powder (for marination): ¾ tsp
* Salt (for marination): ¾ tsp
* Mustard oil: ½ cup
* Onion (very finely chopped): 1 cup
* Ginger paste: ¾ tsp
* Freshly made black-mustard-seed paste: 1.5 tsp
* Whole dried bay leaf: 1 (big)
* Whole cinnamon (cassia bark): 1 (one-inch stick)
* Whole green cardamoms: 4
* Raisin paste: 1 tsp
* Cumin seeds: ¼ tsp
* Red chili powder: ½ tsp
* Cumin powder: ¾ tsp
* Turmeric powder (for the curry): ½ tsp
* Salt (for the curry): ¾ tsp (or according to taste)
* Granulated sugar: ¼ tsp
* Ghee(Indian clarified butter): 1 tsp
* Green chilies: 4
* Water: 1 cup

 Method

*    Marinate the lobsters (or jumbo prawns) for at least 15 min, with turmeric powder and salt. Heat oil in a kadai or a pan. When it starts smoking, reduce the flame to medium and introduce the lobsters carefully and close the lid immediately to prevent sputtering. After 1 min, turn the lobsters and fry the other side for another minute. Remove the lobsters from the oil.
*    In the same hot oil, add the bay leaf, whole cinnamon (cassia bark), green cardamoms and wait for a few seconds. Add the cumin seeds and let these seeds turn light brown. Add the chopped onion and half the salt (for the curry). Sauté for 7 min, or until the onion looks golden-brown and soft.
*    Add the turmeric and the cumin powders, combined with 4 tbsp water. Saute continuously to prevent burning of the powders. Add the ginger paste and sauté again, sprinkling a little water if the onion mixture starts sticking to the pan. After 5 min, add the rest of the salt, sugar, red chili powder, black-mustard-seed paste, raisin paste and coconut paste and sauté till the mixture starts separating from the oil. At this stage, add the fried lobsters and sauté for 5 min at a simmered flame. Add whole green chilies and ¾ cup of water. Let the curry boil for 10 min, simmered and covered. Before serving, add the ghee to the curry.

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