Gingered prawns (Jhinga Adraki)

This dish is that perfect starter, pungent, succulent and absolutely wonderful.

This is a traditional North Indian dish from Punjab and highlights the use of those ingredients in perfect combinations. It is a super simple dish to make , marinate the prawns and pan sauté them till just cooked. If you are able to use jumbo or king prawns, you can easily grill these for a wonderful smoky flavor. The prawns are tender and pop with the strong flavor of ginger and chilies. Please remove them from the pan as soon as they turn opaque and don’t cook them to a tough rubbery texture. Although these are a main course usually, I like to serve them as an appetizer so that they can be enjoyed without any distractions. These prawns will disappear fast, so always make more than you think you need.

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Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 -1 tablespoon yellow chili powder, or substitute red chili powder, or to taste

2 tablespoon ginger paste

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons mustard oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 1/2 lb king or jumbo prawns

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

Wedges of lime, for garnish

Mix the yogurt, chili powder, ginger and lime juice. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the urmeric. Sizzle for a second and remove and pour over the yogurt. Add the prawns and mix well. Marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours. It is a good idea to make the mix in the morning and cook for dinner.

You can cook the prawns in a number of ways.

On the stove: Add 1 tablespoon butter and fry the prawns in a wok on medium heat the [fawns and sauce till the prawns are just cooked through and still soft. Please remove them from the pan as soon as they turn opaque and don’t cook them to a tough rubbery texture. Serve immediately with wedges of lime.

In the oven: Layer the prawns in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet and broil about 10 inches from the broiler. Baste wit ghee or butter once. They should be cooked and charred in spots in about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with wedges of lime.

To grill: This is the best way to cook these prawns. Skewer them and grill over coals or a gas grill for about 2 minutes a side. Baste with ghee or butter. Serve immediately with wedges of lime.