find and follow us
HOMENow you are cookingPRAWN AND TAMARIND CURRY WITH CHUNKY CUCUMBER RAITA
make an informed decision
  • Dinner
  • Foodforfriends
  • Yogurt

PRAWN AND TAMARIND CURRY WITH CHUNKY CUCUMBER RAITA

  • 4 servings

PRAWN AND TAMARIND CURRY WITH CHUNKY CUCUMBER RAITA

Tamarind sharpens this simple and lively tomato sauce, laced with ginger, garlic and mint.

Of all the raitas, cucumber does it best; you want something really cooling to dampen the fire of all those chillies and spice. This chunky take on it serves as a salad instead of a sauce. We would ladle it over some skinny noodles or plain rice.

This recipe was created by Annie Bell, and is one of many divine recipes from her Cookbook #TheModernDairy

Step by Step (tick the boxes as you go)
  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7.
  • 2 Cover the tamarind pulp with the boiling water in a small bowl and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as it softens.
  • 3 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and fry the shallots, ginger and garlic for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently.
  • 4 Press the tamarind purée through a sieve into the pan, discarding the fibres.
  • 5 Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar, cayenne and a little salt, bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes until you have a rich, well-reduced sauce. This can be made in advance.
  • 6 Stir the prawns, half the mint leaves and the chilli rings into the sauce and transfer to a roasting or gratin dish (about 30 × 20cm) that holds the curry in a shallow layer.
  • 7 Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and roast for 10 minutes, then scatter over a few more mint leaves. Serve with rice or noodles and the raita.
  • 8 For the raita: Place the cucumber slices in a bowl, toss with a liberal sprinkling of salt and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the juices. Rinse the cucumber in a sieve and pat dry.
  • 9 Mix the yogurt with the sugar and a little salt in a bowl, then fold in the cucumber.
  • 10 Transfer to a clean serving bowl, coarsely grind the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and scatter over, and if you like a little paprika.
  • 11 If making it in advance, cover and chill, give it a stir before serving and then sprinkle over the spice.
Ingredients
For the curry
  • 25g tamarind block, broken up
  • 4 tablespoons boiling water
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
  • 11⁄2 teaspoons caster sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • sea salt
  • 400g raw peeled king prawns
  • handful of small mint leaves
  • 1 medium–hot red chilli, seeds discarded and cut into thin rings
  • noodles or rice, to serve
FOR THE CUCUMBER RAITA
  • 1 cucumber, ends discarded, peeled and finely sliced
  • sea salt
  • 250g natural Greek yogurt
  • large pinch of caster sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
  • paprika (optional)
You’ll need

More tasty recipes like this

More tasty recipes