Baby Prawns Chutney: 15-Min Recipe

Along the coast, from Maharashtra to Mangalore, tiny dried prawns get dressed up with coconut, onions, chillies to become a spectacular relish. Recipe by Manisha Kotian.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sukha javla or dried prawns/shrimps, cleaned
• 3-4 dry red chillies or 1-2 green chillies
• 4-5 pods garlic

Ingredients, continued

• 1 cup grated fresh coconut
• 3-4 small-sized onions, chopped
• ½ tsp haldi or turmeric, optional
• Handful fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped

Ingredients, continued

• Small piece imli or tamarind, seeds, fibre removed, or ½ tsp aamchur or dried mango powder
• Salt to taste, 1 tsp

Method

• Clean the dried prawns of grit, sand etc and roast in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes over low heat till slightly crispy.
  Keep aside.
• In the same pan, dry roast, one by one, the coconut, onions, red chillies (not the green chillies), garlic till light golden and dry.
  Be careful not to burn.

Method, continued

• In a bowl, add all the roasted ingredients -- coconut, onions, red or green chillies, garlic -- and the tamarind, turmeric, salt and mix well.
  In a mixer/blender, grind the mixed ingredients into either a coarse or fine chutney, as per your choice.
  Add a little water if a slightly wet chutney or a gravy is preferred.
• For a dry chutney, don't add water.

Method, continued

• Now, in a bowl, mix the roasted dry shrimp with the ground chutney and garnish with the fresh coriander.
• Serve with rice, chapatis, bhakris, or even curd-rice; Serves 3-4.

Tips
To keep the prawns crispy mix into the chutney just before serving. If you mix in advance, the onions will make the prawns soft.
Roasting is essential -- it lends the chutney a lovely fragrance.
In Mangalore, desiccated instead of fresh coconut is preferred.
Store in an airtight box. It stays good for 5-7 days in the fridge.