Prawn & Lady Finger Curry (Sungta ani Bende Kodi)

In every Goan home, you will always find fish curry rice & prawn curry rice as a regular & normal meal. Prawn & lady finger curry is something to be experienced in Goa. This curry is really very special as in Goa large lady fingers are grown & added to the curry. Besides, clay pots & coconut oil is used for cooking.

The curries in Goa are exceptional in taste & flavor… I think it has got to do with the soil & water in the coastal region! This curry is delicious & mouth watering. To prepare this wonderful curry, I used coconut oil & a clay pot but regular bhindi/bhende. We love this curry & I just couldn’t  wait to share it with you… Like most Goan curries, this curry too tastes better the next day…We like it fresh & relish it the next day as well but very rarely does it remain for the next day! 😀

Ingredients :

• 300 gms. fresh Prawns (washed, peeled & salted)
• 200 gms. fresh tender Lady Fingers/ Bende/Bhindi/Okra(cut off both the ends)
• ½ fresh Coconut (scraped)
• 1 med. Onion (peeled & chopped)
• 1 or 2 fresh slit Green Chillies ( optional)
• 8 dry Kashmiri Chillies (destemed, deseeded & soaked in a little warm water)
• 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 2 tbsps. dry Coriander Seeds or pwd.
• 1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.
• 1 tbsp. fresh Tamarind extract or paste
• 5 flakes fresh Garlic
• 1 tbsp. fresh Ginger (grated) or paste or chopped
• 2 flakes Amsol/Bindi Sol/ Kokum
• 1 fresh red Tomato (chopped roughly)
• A pinch of Sugar
• 4 tbsps. Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
• Salt to taste
• Water or Coconut milk as required.

Procedure :
First, heat 2 tbsps. oil in a sufficiently deep & broad pot till hot.

Reduce heat & sauté chopped onions briefly & then sauté the chopped tomatoes briefly.

Transfer to a masala grinder/blender along with soaked chillies with the water, scraped coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric pwd., ginger, garlic, tamarind paste & grind to a fine, thick & smooth paste.

Transfer the masala paste to a bowl; rinse the blender & reserve the masala water to be used later to prepare the curry.

In the same pot, add another 2 tbsps. of oil & lightly fry the lady fingers, about 2-3 mins. Drain & transfer to a bowl.

Then fry the prawns briefly for about 2 mins. Do not over fry. Drain & reserve in another bowl.

Now add the masala paste to the pot & fry till rawness disappears.

Add the reserved masala water & more fresh water or coconut milk depending on the consistency of the curry you prefer.

Give it a good stir; add bindi sol, slit green chillies & let it come to a boil.

Add in the prawns & lady fingers. Stir gently & let it come to a boil.

Reduce heat add a pinch of sugar & salt to taste; stir gently again & let it cook for about another 2-3 mins.

Do not over cook the prawns & lady fingers. It is better to have the lady fingers slightly firm.

Serve hot with steamed rice & fried fish or prawns on the side or with bread/pav/sannas.

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