Showing posts with label Unakka Chemmeen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unakka Chemmeen. Show all posts

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Unakka Chemmeen Pacha Maanga Curry | Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Muringakka Kootan

Kerala Style Dried Prawns & Raw Mango Curry with Drumsticks



And here I am with the last post of the season with dried shrimps. I promise :) My stock of the dried prawns is over :D So this is a recipe of the summer season coz the dried shrimps are paired with raw mangoes to make this gravy. It is a yummy tangy gravy that you can make when you do not have fresh fish in stock to enjoy a fish curry. Here in this gravy tamarind is not used, instead the raw mangoes impart the necessary tanginess for the gravy.. It is easy to make and you can pair it with aviyal or any thoran or stir fry of your choice. Deeps liked this gravy and did ask for a second helping (proof that he liked this and I can continue to make it as part of our menu ;)) and so this is going to be a regular whenever I get hold of some dried shrimps. So let's see how to make this yummilicious gravy..

Other recipes with Dried Shrimps:

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Dried Shrimp Chutney powder
Unakka Chemmeen Roast | Dried Shrimp Fry

Other recipes with Mango:





Recipe Source: Adapted from Here


Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 minutes


Serves : 3-4 persons


I Used:


Dried Shrimp - ½ cup
Raw Mango - 1 no (big sized one - totapuri/kilimooku) - cut into cubes
Drumstick - 1 no - cut into 2 inch long pieces
Shallots - 4-5 nos - sliced
Ginger - 1 inch piece - sliced
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Salt - As Needed
Water - As Needed

To Grind:

Coconut  - ½ cup

To Temper:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Shallots - 4-5 nos


The Way:


1. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse and once done, drain them and keep aside for 10-15 minutes



2. Now heat a man chattai (earthen pot) or a kadai. Add the washed dried shrimps and roast on medium/low flame for 5-10 minutes till they turn golden in colour. Once done and dried, remove them on to a plate



3. If you have bigger shrimps and would want to remove their heads and tails now would be a good time to do so


4. Then in the same man chatti or pan take the roasted shrimps, drumstick, cut mangoes, sliced shallots, sliced ginger, green chilly, 1 sprig curry leaves, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt (add cautiously as dried shrimps already have salt in them)


5. Add water and mix well. Cook them on high flame till water begins to boil


6. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and cover the vessel and cook till everything is cooked. Check occasionally to see that water doesn't evaporate off completely and they get burnt. This would take around 15-20 minutes




7. Meanwhile grind grated coconut to a smooth fine paste by adding water. Once the mangoes and shrimp is cooked, add the coconut paste to it and stir well. Check for salt and hotness. Add accordingly if required


8. Cook for another 10-15 minutes in low flame 




9. Meanwhile heat coconut oil in a tadka pan. Add sliced shallots and fry them till golden brown

10. Once the gravy is done, pour this tempering on the gravy and add 2 sprigs of curry leaves and give a gentle stir



Serve with rice and a stir fry of your choice!



Notes:

  • The tanginess for the gravy comes from the raw mangoes. So add accordingly. I used the whole of a kilimooku/totapuri mango. If you are in doubt, first add half of the mango. Then once the shrimp and mangoes are half cooked, check for the tanginess, add more if needed 

Cheers,

Chitz

Sunday, 20 May 2018

Unakka Chemmeen Roast | Unakka Chemmeen Fry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Roast | Dry Prawns Fry | Dried Prawns Stir fry

Unakka Chemmeen Ularthiyathu | Unakka Chemmeen Mulakittathu


I'm back with another delicacy with dried shrimps :) See that's what I do when I get hold of something exotic to us.. GO overboard ;) But this is also something that you all would love and enjoy. It's a roast or fry with the unakka chemmeen or dried shrimps (prawns).. You know what Deeps asked when I served this dish. "Deep fried???"  I was like, "No, shallow with 2 tbsp oil ;) That's the magic here.. Looks and feels like a deep fry, but have used minimal oil here. And I paired this with some spinach dal and cabbage poriyal.. Oh my, it tasted just awesome with the dal ! You can have it with kanji (rice gruel) as well and I'm sure you wouldn't need another side dish :) or just dal or mild gravy. This is so easy to make and will take your simple meal to another level. And spice and shallots, feel free to increase or decrease according to your needs..So let's see how easily this is made :)



Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes


Serves : 2 persons


I Used:



Dried Shrimp - 1 cup
Shallots - 10-12 nos
Red Chilly - 2-3 nos
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Red Chilly powder
Turmeric powder
-
-
2 tsp
¼ tsp
Salt - As Needed


The Way:


1. Peel the shallots and rinse them well in water. Take the shallots and red chillies in a mixer jar and coarsely pulse them 2-3 times. Do not have to grind them to a smooth paste

2. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse. Once done, drain them and keep aside


3. Heat coconut oil in a pan/kadai. Splutter the curry leaves

4. Now add the coarsely pulsed shallot-red chilly mix. Saute them for about 3-4 minutes in medium flame


5. Then add the rinsed dried shrimps and give a quick mix. Keep sauteeing for another 4-5 minutes till they start to become dry

6. Now add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt (Dried fish will already have salt in them, so add cautiously) and give a nice stir

7. Reduce the flame to low and keep stirring occasionally to avoid the shrimps getting burnt. If you feel they need a little more oil, add a tsp or two and mix. Check for salt and hotness and add salt and red chilly powder if needed. They should turn golden and dry (no moisture content). this would take around 15-20 minutes


When done, serve with hot rice and a gravy of choice or kanji(rice gruel)!

Notes:

  • I have used 2 tsp red chilly powder here which is fairly hot and suited for our taste buds. You can very well increase or decrease the quantity according to the needs of your family
  • If you want you can increase the amount of shallots for more masala
  • Dry shrimps comes with added salt. Hence add salt accordingly
  • If your shrimps are larger and you want to remove the head and tail then you can do the same after rinsing them
Cheers,
Chitz

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Kerala Style Chemmeen Chammanthi Podi | Dry Shrimp Chutney powder


You know, I have been making this condiment on and off for the past 5 years.. On and off in the sense, whenever I get my hands on a pack of dried shrimps, I for sure make them ! I learnt to make them from a very dear blogger friend Meena's space 'Elephants and Coconut trees'. It was a saviour during our days at Norway. Deeps is a great fan of dried fish and getting them was close to impossible there. Once in a while we get the dried shrimps packet in the Asian stores. Whenever we spot one, we buy them and get it roasted and ground :D 



And the taste is so awesome that even after getting back to India and having pretty good access to fresh and dried fish, we still crave for this :D And this time when we went to Kerala, Deeps found this at our local super market and got 2 packets :) So I made this podi with one packet and some other dishes with the other one. Stay tuned to see what they are :) Meena keeps her podi pretty simple but I, when I made it the first time itself used all those extras that she mentioned in her notes.. So I have been making it like that ever since ! They are sooper easy to make. A little time consuming only to roast the ingredients and that is so important coz your shelf life depends on how well they are roasted and how moisture free they are.. And we like to pair it up with kanji (rice gruel) for our dinner. Little of this podi, choodu kanji, mutta scramble (egg scrambled) and achar (pickle) is all that we need to have a mind filling dinner :) So do try this out if you get your hands on one and let me know how you liked it :)




Recipe Source: Adapted from Here


Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 minutes


Makes : 1.5cups


I Used:



Dried Shrimp - One 50 gm packet
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Shallots - 8 nos
Garlic - 5 pods
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Pepper - 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - ½ tsp
Tamarind - 1 tsp (tightly packed)
Salt - As Needed


The Way:


1. Rinse and wash the shrimp thoroughly 3-4 times to remove any dirt or dust particles in them. They tend to absorb water, so be quick to rinse and once done, drain them and take them in a plate and spread them out. Leave them for 30-60 minutes to dry

2. If you are hard pressed for time, do not bother to dry them. Take them in a kadai/pan and dry roast them in low flame. For a better and longer shelf time, there shouldn't be any moisture content in the powder we are going to make. Hence make sure you roast the shrimps in low flame till they are crisp and dry. Also make sure that you keep stirring occasionally so that they don't get burnt

3. Once they are crisp and starts to crack and splutter, take them in a plate and keep aside


4. In the same pan, add the grated coconut, shallots, garlic, curry leaves and pepper. Saute on a low flame till the coconut turns deep brown in colour. Keep sauteeing continuously and take care not to burn them

5. Now add red chilly powder, salt and asafoetida. Give a quick stir


6. Then add the roasted shrimp and give a nice stir. Keep stirring for another 3-4 minutes. Then add the tamarind and saute for a minute. Switch off the flame

7. Allow it to cool down. Then grind it coarsely and store in an air tight container


Notes: 

  • Store in an air tight container for a longer shelf life. Use a clean and dry spoon to take out the podi
  • Dry shrimps comes with added salt. Hence add salt accordingly while making the podi
  • If your shrimps are a bit larger and you want to remove the head and tail then you can do the same. I use small variety for making this podi and don't remove the heads or tails
  • Roast the ingredients really well and keep them away from moisture for a better shelf life
Cheers,
Chitz

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Unakka Chemmeen Curry | Dried Shrimp Curry | Dried Prawn Curry

Dried Shrimps/Prawns cooked in tamarind extract & coconut sauce



It's been a while since I posted some non-veg recipes. So when I was going through the draft pics, this one grabbed my attention. What else can be termed as the comfort food of Indians living abroad. It's none other than the dried fish. The fresh or processed fish that you get in many of the countries will not have the taste of the fish that we get or eat in India. No complaints here, as each place has it's own unique cuisine coz of the taste & type of the ingredients that it owns !! And hence the Indian curry or gravy that we prepare here, will also differ in taste to a small extent. 

And that's where the dried fish becomes the hero. On your way back from vacation, neatly pack up some dried fish and it becomes the savior :) It definitely guarantees you the authentic flavor & aroma that you always enjoy back at home !! So without any further pep talk, let's dive into the recipe..




Recipe Source: Mil


Serves: 2 persons


I Took: 40 minutes



I Used:

Unakka Chemmen/Dry Shrimps - ¼ cup
Tomato - 1 no - medium sized
Tamarind - A big goosebery size
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Salt - As Needed


To Roast & Grind:
Oil - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - ¼ cup
Shallots - 5-6 nos
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp

To Temper:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - ½ tsp
Shallots - 3-4 nos
Curry leaves - A sprig

The Way:

  1. Wash & clean the dried shrimps with a little turmeric powder & keep aside
  2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes & extract the pulp out of it
  3. In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil. Add the ingredients under 'To Roast & Grind' & saute on medium fire until it turns slight brown in color
  4. Allow it to cool. Add 2-3 tbsp water & grind them to a paste
  5. In another pan add the tamarind extract, chopped tomatoes, slit green chilly,  turmeric powder, cleaned shrimp & salt and cook for 10-15 minutes or until it's done
  6. Adjust salt as the dried shrimp will already have some in it
  7. Add the ground paste to the gravy and mix well. Cook in low flame for 5 minutes
  8. Meanwhile heat 1 tsp of oil in the first pan. Splutter mustard. Add shallots & curry leaves and saute till the shallots turn golden brown. Take care not to burn
  9. Add this tempering to the gravy, when done
  10. Remove from flame and serve with steamed rice
Cheers,
Chitz