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Kerala Style Prawns Roast

Kerala Style Prawns Roast is prepared with small to medium-sized prawns. It is cooked with few ingredients like shallots, black pepper, curry leaves and coconut bits.
Kerala Style Prawns Roast, also called Chemeen Roast or Naadan Chemeen Varattiyathu is a spicy yet subtly flavoured recipe with the star ingredient being the shallot. The shallots or small onions enhance the flavour of the prawns by blending well with each other. The number of shallots used determine the taste of the recipe. Not many ingredients are used here so that the flavour of the prawns is not lost in the process of cooking. The shallots are shallow-fried in coconut oil and curry leaves. The prawns are added to the shallots and blended well to be slow-cooked to perfection!
Kerala Style Prawns Roast can be a spicy or a medium-spiced dish depending upon one's choice. The spice can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the quantity of black pepper used as green chillies are optional.
Kerala Style Prawns Roast can be prepared as a semi-gravy dish or a starter. It can be paired with hot boiled rice, white rice, parotas or appams. It is an easy-to-prepare recipe that doesn't require too much effort.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dinner Recipe
Cuisine Kerala Cuisine
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Deep pan or claypot
  • 1 Small pan

Ingredients
  

  • 25 pieces Small to medium prawns
  • 20 nos. Shallots/pearl onions/small onions
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste (coarsely pounded)
  • 3 nos. Green chillies
  • 1 tbsp Pepper powder
  • 1 tsp Chilli powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • ½ tsp Mustard seeds
  • 10-20 nos Curry leaves
  • 3 tsps Lemon juice
  • ¼ cup Coconut bits or pieces
  • 3 tbsp Coconut oil
  • 1 tsp Salt or as per taste

Instructions
 

Method of preparation

  • Wash and clean prawns. Devein the prawns well and marinate with turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and lemon juice. Keep aside.
  • Peel shallots and wash. Chop into thin slices. Heat coconut oil in a deep pan or clay pot and splutter mustard seeds. Next, throw in some curry leaves and stir. Add sliced shallots and fry till light golden brown.
  • Add ginger-garlic paste, stir till raw smell disappears. Next, add in the sliced coconut pieces and fry for a minute.
    Add pepper powder and coriander powder and mix well.
  • After this step, the marinated prawns can be added into the pan. Mix well so that the seasoned masalas coat well around them.
  • Pour ½ cup hot water into the prawns mix and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals to prevent it from getting stuck at the bottom of the pan. Check if the prawns are cooked perfectly. (Neither overcooked or undercooked).
    Drizzle 1 tsp of coconut oil over the prawns and stir it on medium flame so that the prawns masala is almost dry and light golden brown.
  • For semi-gravy preparation, the last step of stirring till dry can be omitted.
  • Garnish it with fried curry leaves and green chillies. (Some extra curry leaves and green chillies can be fried in another small pan and added to garnish the Prawns Roast).

Notes

Notes & Tips
For this roast recipe, use small to medium prawns.
Shallots enhance the taste of the roast prawns.
Bigger prawns can be used for deep fry recipe.
Keyword black pepper, coconut, coconut bits, coconut oil, coconut pieces, curry leaves, easy to cook, easy to make, pearl onions, shallots, spicy