CHEMMEEN VATTICHULARTHIYATHU

That name was a mouthful, wasn't it? Everytime I have to share a Malayali recipe with you, I wonder if I should include a translated,simple version or just stick to the original name. It plays in my head for a while I type the post and eventually, I go with the original name for it's charm and authenticity that might get lost during translation. I have been guilty of doing that in the past and in my defence, I was much younger then! :-) As I grow older (and even a bit wiser!), I can certainly notice a change in me with regards to how I think and also in the way I do things. Have you been noticing such changes in yourself? I have even come to realize that I like the way I feel now a lot better than what I did in the past...I do things at my pace and I am totally living my life on my own terms now. I cannot wait to grow older! :-)

This recipe,is a quick and easy one. It's from the book Suriani Pachakam by Mrs. Bava Lukose. Prawns or Shrimp as it's known in this part of the world, barely requires any time to cook. It's one of my most favourite seafood for it's taste and texture. Seafood can get rubbery if you overcook it. I have seen so many cookery shows in Malayalam where the seafood is cooked in a pressure cooker and it's given multiple whistles. I cannot even begin to imagine how terrible the texture might be! All you need for this particular recipe is a good old mannchatti if you have one and maybe another pan to fry. If you don't have a mannchatti, I highly recommend you to get one at the earliest! I don't know if there's an extra taste coming from it but I surely know it's a healthier way to cook and definitely has a rustic charm with a nostalgic tag attached to it.

For this recipe or any seafood recipe for that matter, please take your time to find out the best source to get them. I had a hard time figuring out where to get good seafood here that actually tastes like the sea. I eventually found out that it's the best at co-ops, Whole Foods or wherever they sell wild caught seafood. It tastes the best and it does taste like the ocean. I mean, that's the best way I can describe how fresh the seafood is back in Kannur. Nowadays, even back home, we see a lot of seafood coming in from far away places and they just don't taste the same.

CHEMMEEN VATTICHULARTHIYATHU
Serves 6

Ingredients:
500 gram cleaned prawns
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch piece ginger, crushed
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2-3 pieces Kudampuli soaked in 1/2 cup water
Salt
1/2 cup sliced pearl onions
4 dry red chilies, de-seeded and crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
1 sprig curry leaves

Method: Into a mannchatti, add everything from prawns through salt along with 1/4 cup water. Mix well and cook over medium high heat till the prawns are just cooked. It will turn salmon-pink and will curl up,about 5-6 minutes.
Heat oil in a fairly large pan on medium high heat and add the pearl onions. Saute until they start to brown a bit, then add dry red chilies, black pepper and curry leaves. Mix well and add the cooked prawns and saute well till the masala is well coated, about 2-3 minutes. Serve hot!
Please adjust Kudampuli to your taste. I used 3 small pieces. This curry's success depends a lot on the 'erivum puliyum' balance. 

This curry was honestly a huge hit at home! Jobin's mummy and Jobin couldn't stop raving about it . Jobin usually doesn't like Kachimoru but the recipe I shared with you last week, is his favourite.It's a little spicy for children,so I washed the pieces and served it to them along with Cabbage & Baby Kale thoran, Koorka Mezhukkupuratti and Matta rice. Hmmm...that combination is so nostalgic! I can never ever get enough of it!