A delicious Bengali prawn curry made in a mustard seed and grated coconut paste that tastes blissful with steaming hot rice!
This sorshe narkel chingri (mustard coconut prawn curry) is a gem from my mother’s kitchen. While sorshe maach or Bengali fish in mustard sauce is made very regularly, this one is reserved for special occasions. Maa makes this on birthdays or when we have guests over or during a festive occasion etc. And anyone who’s tasted it has fallen in love with it. For a curry that is so minimally spiced, it tastes fabulous. This Bengali prawn curry is made in a pungent yet sweet paste of mustard seeds, grated coconut and yoghurt, along with some salt and chilis. There are no other spices that flavour this curry besides nigella seeds that are used in tempering the oil. It is only the combination of mustard seeds and the coconut that work their magic here. The pungent mustard along with the sweetness of grated coconut give this curry it’s delicious taste.
Also, the fat from the coconut and the yoghurt give the sorshe chingri, a creamy texture. The beauty of the sorshe narkel chingri is it’s simplicity. Besides these few ingredients that I have already mentioned you won’t need any other spice for this recipe. Not even garam masala is used here. Therefore, it also becomes essential that you use the freshest of prawns for this curry. Unlike other Bengali curries, where the fish/prawns are fried before adding them to the curry, here they go in raw. In this one pot recipe, the prawns are marinated in the mustard-coconut paste and then covered and cooked. Hence, fresh, juicy prawns make a huge difference to the taste. Coming to the cooking time, this is an under 30 minute recipe, even for jumbo prawns, like the ones here.
A special recipe
Like maa, even I keep the sorshe narkel chingri (mustard coconut prawn curry) for special days. So, this year since we aren’t heading anywhere for Durga Pujo (thanks to Covid!) I made this for our Navami lunch. The ninth day (Navami) is generally when we Bengalis feast our heart out after staying vegetarian for aushtomi. And a feast is exactly what this is when paired with steamed rice. Believe you me, you won’t need anything else along with this prawn curry and rice. This curry is a complete crowd pleaser and is always a hit when I have made it for friends and family here. So, if you love prawns and enjoy simple, scrumptious meals then this is surely one for you to try.
And if you do happen to try this delicious recipe out or any of my others out, I’d love to hear your feedback. You can share your thoughts in the comments section below and even share food pictures with me on Instagram.
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Eat hearty!
Sorshe narkel chingri (Mustard coconut prawn curry)
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot with lid
Ingredients
- 700 g king prawns cleaned and washed
- 3 tbsp mustard seeds soaked in water for 30 minutes
- Β½ cup coconut grated
- ΒΌ cup yoghurt
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds optional
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 3-4 fresh chilies
- 1 tsp nigella seeds kalo jeere
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain the mustard seeds and add them to a mixer grinder along with all the other ingredients (except the oil) and blend to a smooth paste
- In a mixing bowl, mix this mustard-coconut paste with the prawns well and set this aside for 15-20 minutes
- Heat your cooking pot with the mustard oil until it smokes, then lower the flame and add the nigella seeds. Pour in the marinade along with the prawns
- Wash your mixing bowl with ΒΌ cup water and add to your cooking pot (so that you don't waste any of the marinade). Cover and cook over a medium flame for 15-17 minutes
- Remove from flame and drizzle over a tablespoon of mustard oil and serve your delicious sorshe narkel chingri (mustard coconut prawn curry) with steamed rice and a lime wedge on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
