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–+ servings

Keralan prawn fry

Kerala prawn fry is a simple dry dish of crispy fried prawns. Called nadan chemmeen varuthathu, it is one of Kerala's best-known street vendor snacks. It is hot and tangy and highlights the flavour of the prawns.
serving platter of kerala prawn fry
prepare: 10 minutes
cook: 25 minutes
marinate: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
difficulty: simple
yield: 4
calories: 193 kcal
diet: gluten free
cuisine: Indian, keralan

equipment

  • small frypan
  • large bowl
  • wide pan

ingredients

  • 500 g prawns - shelled and deveined

for the marinade

for cooking

for serving

  • salt - to taste
  • 1 lime - cut into wedges

instructions

  • Heat a small frypan over medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and the peppercorns. Fry and toss gently until they start to colour and become aromatic. Remove from the heat, allow to cool then grind to a fine powder.
  • Put the minced ginger and garlic, the ground coriander, cumin and pepper powder, the ground turmeric, the Kashmiri chilli powder and the lime juice in a large bowl and mix well.
  • Dry the prawns on a paper towel then place them into the bowl. Mix well, ensuring every prawn is well coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

to cook

  • Remove the prawns from the marinade, shake off any excess marinade, and lay them out on a flat plate in one layer. Lightly dust them with the rice flour. Turn them over and dust the other side.
  • Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add the sprig of curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until crisp but still vibrant green. Remove from pan, drain on some absorbent paper and set aside.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the prawns in 2 batches for 2-3 minutes a side or until golden, crisp and just cooked. Remove from oil and drain on absorbent paper.

to serve

  • Place the prawns on a serving dish and season lightly with salt. Scatter the fried curry leaves over the top and the lime wedges on the side.

notes

  • Do not overcrowd the pan. Make sure each prawn is touching the hot surface of the pan and is coated in oil.
  • Do not overcook the prawns. By cooking in batches the prawns will continue to cook in their residual heat after you remove them from the pan.
  • For presentation when entertaining, you might garnish the dish with a few thickly sliced red onion rings and sliced red chilli.

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nutrition

Calories: 193 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 158 mg | Sodium: 890 mg | Potassium: 297 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 868 IU | Vitamin C: 19 mg | Vitamin D: 1 µg | Calcium: 104 mg | Iron: 2 mg