PRAWNS IN COCONUT MILK

For me, food should not only tingle your taste buds.... it should be able to bring back fond memories... and that's what these coconut milk prawns do to me...... a very simple dish..... brought to life by my grandfather...... brings back fond memories of days when like a royal chef he would declare in the mornings that he shall engage in preparing yummy prawns for us..... and we would be super excited because we would look forward not only to the dish but to his 'shahaana andaaz' of cooking!..... you need chopped tomatoes, chopped spring onions and green chillies, half a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, whole garam masala, deveined prawns, sugar and salt to taste and coconut milk.... heat oil in a pan.... wait till its fairly hot and add all the whole masala...(bayleaf, peppercorns, cloves, peeled big and small cardamom and cinnamon stick) ..... you can remove it after you feel that the oil has absorbed all the flavors( i dont remove it, I dont mind accidentally crunching upon a cardamom or a clove) next goes the ginger garlic paste and the spring onion and green chillies... keep a fair amount of leafy bit aside, chopped and add the rest in the pan.... fry, fry, fry till the onion is tender...... add chopped tomatoes, pinch of turmeric and salt.... cook alternately on high and low flames till the tomatoes are done.... add half a teaspoon of sugar..... mix well.... the base is ready..... put the deveined prawns in and let the prawns absorb all the luscious flavors on a low flame..... check the prawns after 8-10 mins... they should be done by now...... now is the time for the magic ingredient...... pour generous amount of coconut milk in the curry....observe the beautiful white and red swirls that appear in the pan... sigh!...... also throw in the chopped green tails of spring onions.....let it simmer on a low flame for 5-6 mins..... and its ready to be served....... tastes best with rotis or steamed rice..... enjoy! :)