Fish and rice is every bengali's comfort food. Ilish, Chingri, Rui, Katla, Koi, Tangra, Pabda, Bhetki and the list goes on and on and on.........We love every variety of fish but amongst all Ilish (Hilsa) and Chingri (Shrimp/Prawn) are our all time favorites.
Since I had been raised outside Bengal we were not privileged to relish some of the very common varieties of fish. We use to get only Rui, Katla, Koi and sometimes Chingri. But whatever variety we would find my Mom always came out with finger licking delicacies.
Chingri Macher Malaikari is one of the signature dishes of Bengali Cuisine. Every Bong family prepares this delicacy on special occasions. I had seen my Mom preparing this scrumptious delicacy with lot of patience and hard work, she used to delicately clean and devein the shrimp first, then grate the coconut and extract the coconut milk out of it...OMG!!!! Thanks to the supermarkets as we can easily find both the things readily available on the shelves and making this succulent recipe with the blink of an eye.
I have made this Malaikari using head on Shrimps as they add another dimension to this dish. If you want you can use headless Shrimps too. Coconut milk is the key ingredient of this dish. I have used grated coconut along with coconut milk you can use canned coconut milk or make it at home by scraping and soaking the coconut in hot water and then make a fine paste (add a little bit of milk if required). Strain it, your coconut milk is ready to use.
Let's start with the recipe:
Ingredients:
1. Head on Shrimp: 8-9 pieces
2. Onions (medium sized): 1 (grated)
3. Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp
4. Tomatoes (finely chopped): 1
5. Coconut Milk: 1 cup
6. Finely Grated Coconut: 1/4 cup
7. Whole Garam Masala (Cinnamon, Cloves, Green Cardamoms, Bay Leaf)
8. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
9. Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp
10. Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 tsp
11. Ghee (clarified butter): 1/4 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Sugar to taste
14. Oil for cooking
15. Green Chillies: 1-2
16. Fresh Cilantro for garnishing
Method:
1. First thing first wash, clean and devein the shrimps. Leave the head on and tail on as the heads imparts a very nice flavor to the dish.
2. Sprinkle little bit of salt and turmeric powder and coat them nicely. Keep it aside for 5-10 mins.
3. Place a pan on medium heat and add oil. When the oil is hot enough add the shrimp pieces and fry them very delicately. Do not over fry them. Take them out on a plate.
4. In the same pan add more oil if required. When the oil is hot enough add the whole garam masala. As they release their flavors add the grated onions and fry them until they become translucent.
5. As the onions are done add ginger-garlic paste and cook them until the raw flavor is gone. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook them until the tomatoes becomes mushy.
6. Cook the mixture until you see the oil starts separating. At this point add grated coconut and cook it for 5-6 mins. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and cook for another 1-2 mins.
7. Now it's time to add the main ingredient of this dish and i.e Coconut Milk and mix well. Cover the lid and cook for 3-4 mins. If the gravy is thick enough add 1/4 cup of water add cook for a minute.
8. Add the fried shrimp and simmer it for 2 mins on low-medium heat.
9. Check the seasoning and adjust it accordingly add ghee and garam masala. Cover the lid and cook for a minute.
10. Serve Chingri Malaikari with steamed hot rice. Enjoy!!!
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