Prawns pulav is a spicy rice preperation usually made using small prawns.

It has a distinct flavour of Malvani masala and Kokum.

Traditionally served garnished with grated coconut and chopped corriander leaves.

Ingredients :

1 cup deshelled,deveined ,cleaned and washed Prawns (small size)

1/2 cup Onions finely chopped.

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

1 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/4 tsp Haldi powder.

3 Kokum.

1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice.washed,soaked for half an hour and drained.

2 Tamal Patra.

3 tbsp Oil.

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash ,deshell,devein prawns and keep aside.

Add salt,haldi powder and malwani masala,mix well and keep aside.

In a thick bottom pan,heat 1 tbsp Oil,add tamales para,  onion and saute till pinkish brown in colour.Add ginger garlic paste,stir and cook for a minute.

Add marinated prawns,mix well cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Add little water if required ,as prawns will leave its own water.

Cook till prawns is cooked.Add kokum.Remove the lid and cook till dry.

Add chopped corriander leaves and keep aside.

In another pan,heat oil,add washed,soaked and drained rice & salt.

Mix well,add 3 cups boiling hot water.

Cover and let cook.

Once the rice is half done,add cooked karandi,mix well ,cover and cook till rice is completely cooked.

Serve hot garnished with grated coconut and chopped corriander leaves.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

This is very easy to make prawns masala dish,usually small size prawns are used if you are using large size prawns,cut them into 2 or 3 peices.

This dish has a unique taste of Malawani masala and Kokum, fresh grated coconut can also be added to this dish before serving.Goes well with rice flour bhakri.

Ingredients :

1 cup deveined, Cleaned and washed Prawns (small size)

1/2 cup Onions finely chopped.

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

1 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/4 tsp Haldi powder.

3 Kokum.

1 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash, deshell and devein the prawns and keep aside.

Add salt,haldi powder and malwani masala,mix well and keep aside.

In a thick bottom pan,heat 1 tbsp Oil,add onion and saute till pinkish brown in colour.Add ginger garlic paste,stir and cook for a minute.

Add marinated prawns,mix well cover and let it cook for 5  to 7 minutes or till the prawns are cooked. Add little water if required as prawns will leave its own water.Add Kokum.

Once prawns are cooked ,remove the lid and cook till dry.

Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve hot with roti or bhakri of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

Bangda (Indian mackerel) is one of the tastiest fish.It is used in curry as well as fried.My mom uses fresh/dried turmeric leaves to flavour bangda Curry.Sol kadhi,rice and fried bangda is an ultimate comfort food for any malvani.

To clean bangda,slit it in a slanting way chopping off its head and open up its stomach,remove dirt from the stomach,cut of fins and tail end and wash under running water.

Give slits on both the sides of bangda,so that it gets well marinated.

Ingredients:

6 Bangda (Indian Mackerel )

Salt to taste.

1/2 tsp Haldi powder.

1 tbsp kokum aagul.(Juice of Kokum)

1/4 cup rice flour.

1/4 cup fine rava.

Oil for frying.

For the masala

1 medium sized onion.

2 tbsp Dhana(corriander seeds)

5 tbsp Red chilli powder.

1 tbsp haldi powder.

1 tsp black pepper powder.

Method:

Wash cleaned bangda under running water,drain out water completely.

Add salt,turmeric and kokum aagul to wash and cleaned bangda.Keep aside.

Place all the masala ingredients in a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste using very little water.

Apply this masala to bangda,leave it to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix together rice flour and rava.

Heat Oil in a frying pan.

Coat the marinated bangda with rava and rice flour mixture from both the sides.

Shallow fry in the oil till crisp from both sides.

Drain on an absorbent paper to drain out excess oil.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

Whenever you buy crabs make sure you buy female crabs as they have eggs in their stomach,which gives extra flavour and thickness to the gravy.As per my mom,cleaning crab is an art.In crabs the two big legs (not the walking ones)are the most dangerous ones .The 10 walking legs are relatively very less harmful. I mostly get the two big legs  removed by the person who sells  the crabs. If not you can keep crab in deep freezer for hour or two and then clean them.Two big legs are also used with crabs while cooking.

Always hold the crab from top, If you try to hold in any other way, they can easily bite your hand

Still keeping it pressed to ground, pluck the legs.2 big one and 10 small ones.Open the white colour flap,u will see a small hole init,put a thin knife or chop stick in it and apply pressure to remove the shell.Clean the soft portion ( lungs) ,dont discard yellowish orange colour substance,those are eggs.

Hold the crab below running water to remove any other unwanted dirt from crab.,ur crab is ready to use now.

Dont discard small legs,clean them well and grind them in mixie without using water to extract juice out of it.

Strain the juice and keep it aside.

You can  makes two pieces from the stomach to make eating easier (only for bigger crabs). For this, hold the cleaned crab like this and twist the right hand in clockwise and left hand in anti-clockwise direction.

Ingredients:

6 Medium sized crabs with big legs..

1 small Onion chopped.

1 tsp Ginger garlic paste.

2 tbsp Malvani masala.

1/2 tsp Haldi powder.

4 Kokum.

4 tbsp Vatan ( see glossary)

2 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

To the cleaned crabs and big legs apply malwani masala and haldi powder,mix well,add yellowish orange eggs to this,and keep aside.

In a pan heat oil,add chopped onion and saute till brown.Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute more.

Now add marinated crabs and juice extracted from small legs.Mix well and let it come to boil on high flame,lower the flame and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Now add vatan and mix well.

Simmer on slow flame for a minute or two,add kokum and simmer further for a minute.

Check for salt and add only if required,as shell fish has salt content in it.

Remove in a serving dish and serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Mandeli is one of the not so expensive fish, it has its unique taste,I have childhood memories of Crispy Mandelis made by my mom,i used to love to have crispy tails of Mandelis.Served with fish curry,sol kadhi  & rice,mandeli makes a perfect meal.

Ingredients:

15 Mandelis

Salt to taste.

1/2 tsp Haldi powder.

1 tbsp kokum aagul.(Juice of Kokum)

1/4 cup rice flour.

1/4 cup fine rava.

Oil for frying.

For the masala

1 medium sized onion.

2 tbsp Dhana(corriander seeds)

5 tbsp Red chilli powder.

1 tbsp haldi powder.

1 tsp black pepper powder.

Method:

You can  get mandeli  pre cut and cleaned from market,if not can be cut in following way.

Cut of the head in slanting way till stomach,cut of fins and tail end.

Wash mandeli under running water.Open stomach area an wash it clean.

Add salt,turmeric and kokum aagul to wash and cleaned mandeli.Keep aside.

Place all the masala ingredients in a mixie jar and grind to a smooth paste using very little water.

Apply this masala to the fish pieces.Leave it to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix together rice flour and rava.

Heat Oil in a frying pan.

Coat the marinatedfish pieces with rava and rice flour mixture from both the sides.

Shallow fry in the oil till crisp from both sides till crisp.

Drain on an absorbent paper to drain out excess oil.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.