Prawn and Green Mango Curry (Chemeen Manga Charu)

This is a totally deep and rich curry, which couples fruit and seafood. I tell ya, we just had the leftovers (from a few days ago), and it's even better the second time around. If you are able to source some coconut oil, do it. It really adds another dimension to the dish.

16 large raw prawns
4 tablespoons coconut oil
70 g fresh coconut, grated
½ onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely sliced
2 green chiles, chopped
1.5 teaspoon garlic-ginger paste
1.5 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
100 g green mango, sliced into thin strips, plus extra to garnish
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
200 milliliters coconut milk
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
25 curry leaves

Peel and de-vein the prawns, leaving the tail attached. Rinse and pat dry.

Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan, add the coconut, chopped onion and fennel seeds, and saute over a medium heat until the coconut is golden brown. Remove and grind to a smooth paste, using a blender.

Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in the pan. Add the sliced onion and fry until translucent. Add the green chillies with the ginger-garlic paste, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ground spices and half the mango strips.

Add the prawns to the pan with the salt and cook, stirring, until they are opaque and almost cooked. Stir in the coconut paste, coconut milk and the rest of the mango. Simmer gently until the prawns are just cooked.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp coconut oil in a separate pan and saute the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves until aromatic. Serve the prawn curry topped with the aromatic spice mixture and green mango strips. Accompany with rice or Indian bread.