Chingri Macher Malai Curry or Prawn Malai Curry is one of the dishes that is a must-serve with authentic Bengali Thali. It is loved and therefore carefully made to enhance all the flavors of the prawn and other condiments.
This Bengali-style curry is a favorite of a lot of Bengalis out there. It is prepared during weddings, parties, house meets, and other occasions. The dish includes smooth coconut milk, tender prawns, or Golda Chingri.
It holds a subtle creamy texture with sweet notes. The heat comes from the spices and chilis that are used. Almost the entire state indulges in the pleasure of savoring this. The recipe might also be loved by the ones who are into fish and seafood. Although the origin of the dish is not from Bengal, it has become a significant part of us and our food habits.
Let us go through the list of ingredients and the process of making Chingri Macher Malai Curry at home.
Chingri Malai Curry Recipe (Bengali-style)
Equipment
- 1 Induction Cooktop
- 1 Kadhai
Ingredients
- 8 Golda Chingri
- 1 ½ cups Coconut Milk
- 1 ½ cups Coconut Water if available
- 1½ -2 Tbsp Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp Ginger Paste
- 4 Onion medium
- 3 Green Chilis or cording to heat tolerance
- 2 Tomato medium
- 1 Potato large; optional
- 3 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 3 tsp Red Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 pinch Garam Masala
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste; optional
- Mustard Oil
- Whole Spices
- 1 ½ Bay Leaves
- 2 Dried Red Chili
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2-3 Green Cardamom
- 5 Cloves
Instructions
Prepare the prawns
- First, wash the prawns thoroughly with water and ten devein each one of them.
- Next, add 1 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Red Chili Powder, and salt to taste the prawns and marinate them nicely. Cover and keep them aside for bout 20 minutes.
Prepare the veggies
- Now, wash and cut the tomatoes roughly. Peel and roughly chop the onions.
- Blend them together into a smooth paste along with the two green chilis. When done keep them side.
- Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into medium-sized cubes. Keep them side.
Fry the prawns and potatoes
- After this, take a kadhai or a cooking pot and add about 4 tbsp Mustard oil.
- Let the oil heat until it smokes a little. Keep the flame on medium.
- Gently lower the prawns one by one into the kadhai and fry them until they turn pinkish. When done, immediately transfer them onto a plate. (if it is fried too much the texture will turn rubbery).
- When all the done, add oil to the kadhai or cooking pot if needed.
- Add in the potato cubes and fry them from all the sides.
- Add salt to taste and stir them nicely.
- Cook the potatoes until they are cooked through.
- When done, take them out of the kadhai and keep them aside.
Prepare the gravy
- Add oil if needed. Keep the flame on medium.
- Now, add the bay leaves (tear them from the middle), cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick (break them into pieces), and the dried red chilis (break them from the middle).
- Stir them until fragrant and then add the ginger and garlic paste.
- Stir them nicely until the raw scent is gone.
- To this, add the onion, tomato, and green chili paste.
- Stir them together.
- Continue to stir and let the masala cook.
- After about 5-6 minutes, add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, salt to taste and sugar to taste (optional). Keep the flame on low to medium.
- Mix them nicely with the masala. Add splashes of water in between if needed.
- Let the masala cook until the oil separates from it.
Add coconut milk
- Next, add the coconut milk together with the coconut water.
- Keep on stirring and incorporate everything nicely.
- When the gravy starts to simmer, add 1 ½ cups of water in it.
- Combine again and let them come to a boil.
Add the potatoes and fried prawns
- When the gravy comes to a boil, add the potatoes and the fried prawns in it.
Prepare Chingri Malai Curry
- Cover the kadhai or the cooking pot with a lid and let them cook for 3-4 minutes.
- After this, remove the lid and turn the flame to medium to high.
- Stir them consistently and let the gravy become semi-thick.
- Take a taste test. Add salt if needed.
- Transfer the Chingri Macher Malai Curry into a serving bowl.
Garnish
- Garnish the dish by sprinkling 2 pinches of Garam Masala Powder and a slit green Chili. Cover the bowl for about 5-6 minutes prior to serving.
There you go! The rich Chingri Macher Malai Curry is prepared to be relished. It is best served with hot steamed rice, salad, and some potato chips.
This would be a proper seafood meal, which can be lunch or else dinner. It is an awaited dish for all the Bengalis. Get in the kitchen, make it, and place it on the table for everyone to savor.