Recipe: How to make Prawn Okra Curry

Chef Kumar Mahadevan offers a tasty treat for seafood lovers.

ALSO SEE: How to make Parsi Goat and Paneer Curry

He is often referred as the 'Guru of Indian cuisine' in Sydney's dining circles.

He is known to have introduced authentic Indian cuisine to the people of Australia with his restaurant Abhi's in 1990.

India-born, Sydney-based chef and restaurateur Kumar Mahadevan has always delighted foodies with his delicious Indian dishes.

Here he brings a perfect mix of spices with one of his master class recipes that was prepared on MasterChef Australia Season 2.

Take a look!

Prawn Okra Curry

Ingredients

• 100 ml unscented sesame oil
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 100 gm eschalots (chopped)
• 100 gm okra (trimmed with 3 cm incision on one side)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground chilli
• 150 ml tamarind pulp
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 12 jumbo prawns (peeled and de-veined with head and tail left intact)
• 100 gm fresh coconut (shredded)
• 2 tbsp chana dal (yellow split peas)
• 12 fresh curry leaves
• 4 whole dry red chillies
• Steamed rice (to serve)

Method

• Heat 60 ml of sesame oil in a large wok over high heat.
• Add mustard seeds and cook for two minutes until they have stopped popping.
• Add fenugreek seeds and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the cumin seeds and eschalots. Toss to coat.
• Cook for a few minutes. Keep stirring stirring, until the eschalots have softened.
• Add okra and season with sea salt. Cook for three to five minutes or until slightly softened. Remove okra from the wok and set aside.
• Add dry spices along with 500 ml of water to the wok. Stir well to combine.
• Add tamarind pulp and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add prawns and a pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook for a another three minutes.
• Process coconut and chana dal with 150 ml of water in a blender until smooth.
• Stir the coconut paste through the curry.
• Add half of the curry leaves and cooked okra. Cover with the lid.
• Heat remaining sesame oil in a separate frying pan over high heat.
• Once the oil is smoking, add dried chillies and cook until black and blistered.
• Remove pan from the heat and add the remaining curry leaves.
• Pour the mixture into the curry and cover with the lid for another two minutes.
• Serve with steamed rice.

MasterChef Australia Season 8 airs at 9 pm, Monday to Friday on Star World and Star World HD in India.

ALSO SEE

MasterChef Recipes: 4 classic Indian dishes to make at home

Recipe: How to make Parsi Goat and Paneer Curry

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