Udipi prawns with Malabar porotta
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Pregnancy-friendly
These prawns are tossed with a spiced onion mixture and served on a smooth, fragrant coconut and pineapple sauce. Homemade Malabar porotta adds crisp, flaky layers, perfect for scooping up the sauce.
Ingredients
For the Malabar porotta
- 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
- 15g/½oz caster sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 80ml/2½fl oz milk
- 50g/1¾oz vegetable oil
- plain flour, for dusting
- 30g/1oz ghee, melted
For the onion reduction
- 2 white onions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 20 fresh curry leaves
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, cut into thin strips
- 8–10 curry leaves
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 white onion, sliced
- ¼ pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1.25cm/½in pieces
- 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
For the stir-fried prawns
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz raw prawns, peeled
- 8 fresh curry leaves
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ lime, juice only
Method
To make the Malabar porotta, whisk the eggs, salt, sugar, milk and water together in a bowl. Sift the flour into a large bowl and gradually add the egg mixture, kneading until a soft dough forms. Add the oil and continue kneading until incorporated. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into eight equal portions and roll each into a ball. Brush the tops with ghee, cover and leave to rest for a further 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a work surface with oil. Roll out each ball of dough, then gently stretch the edges until the dough is as thin as possible. Using one palm underneath and the other on top, carefully stretch the dough into a paper-thin sheet. It should be almost transparent.
Sprinkle each sheet with a little ghee and flour, then fold into a long strip and roll into a spiral. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Flatten each spiral into a 20cm/8in disc. Heat a griddle over a medium–low heat and cook each porotta for 3–4 minutes on each side, brushing with melted ghee during cooking.
Brush the cooked porotta with more ghee, then gently crush it between your palms to separate the layers and give it a flaky texture. Set aside.
To make the onion reduction, crush the ginger and green chillies together using a pestle and mortar.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When they start to crackle, add the onions, followed by the crushed ginger and chillies.
Add the salt, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, sticky and reduced.
Add the turmeric and peppercorns and cook for a further few minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fennel seeds, garlic, chilli, ginger and curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.
Add the turmeric, onion and salt and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the onion has softened.
Add the pineapple and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pineapple has softened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
To make the stir-fried prawns, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the prawns and curry leaves, season with salt and stir-fry briefly until the prawns begin to turn pink.
Add the onion reduction and continue cooking until the prawns are pink and opaque throughout and cooked through.
Sprinkle over the sugar, squeeze over the lime juice and remove from the heat.
To serve, divide the pineapple and coconut sauce between serving plates or bowls. Spoon the prawns on top and serve with the Malabar porotta.
