Do you like to know, how to make prawn recipes Bengali style? Achari aloo is my favorite but a recipe that I made for a dinner party that was much appreciated was Achari Ihinga. A few Bengali friends who were great fans of dab chingri (prawn malai curry cooked in a green coconut shell) were coming over. I had to ensure that they would go back raving about my prawn curry—you can bet they did!
Using a small, sharp knife, make a slit along the back of the prawns to expose the dark vein. Pull out the vein.
Chop the ginger and green chilies.
Finely chop the onion.
Heat the oil on medium heat. Add the whole red chilies and sauté till fragrant. Add the onion pieces and sauté until golden brown, approximately 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic paste, stir for 15 seconds. Add the achari masala and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add the tomato purée and bring to a boil. Add the ginger and green chilies, reduce to medium heat and sauté until the oil separates. Add the prawns. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and continue to sauté until the oil leaves the sides and the prawns are cooked.
Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle garam masala powder, vinegar, sugar, salt, and stir.
Serve hot
500 g prawns
1 large onion
2 green chilies
1/2 cup tomato purée
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 2-inch piece of ginger
4 dried red chilies
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp mustard oil
Salt to taste