This recipe is from my friend Aparna. Appu is my batch mate from my post graduation days. She used to bring big bottles of Prawn Pickle every time she came to hostel after vacation. That was the first time I tasted Prawn Pickle. We all would devour on her bottle and it will be over very soon. Our senior Pramod would come to see Aparna at the hostel. He always brought flowers when he came to see her. The room would have some flowers all the time. I have this memory of Pramod bringing his pens, pencils and a ruler nicely packed in an empty Pringles box for semester exams. Pringles was not readily available those days at shops in India. It had to come from the middle east or USA when someone visited you. I used to save my empty Pringles boxes like a treasure and used it to store stationery. I was surprised to see another person doing the same thing just like me. Appu and Pramod are now married with two children. Wonderful memories. OK. Back to the pickle. This recipe is a flavor bomb. Here is how to do Kerala style Prawn Pickle.
Clean, Peel and de-vein the prawns. We use small prawns for this recipe. Add in the salt and turmeric and mix well. Set it on a strainer for the excess water in the prawns to drain. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat quarter cup of oil in a pan and add in the prawns and the red chilli powder. Fry on low flame for 5 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
The ginger and garlic are 50% of the weight of the prawns in this pickle. I have used 250 grams of small prawns today. I used 60 grams each of garlic and ginger. Run the garlic and ginger in a small mixie jar without adding any water to coarsely crush them. Do not make it into a paste. Just coarsely grind. Set aside. Add the remaining oil in the pan and add in the ginger and garlic mixture.
Saute for two minutes. Add in the chopped green chillies and continue to saute until the garlic and the ginger are nicely roasted. About 5 minutes on medium flame.
Add in the masala powders and the salt and fry for a minute.
Add in the prawns, vinegar and quarter cup of water. Do not add all of the vinegar at once. First add the 1/4 cup of vinegar and taste it. Add more if you think you might need more. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the mixture would become slightly dry and the oil would start to float on top completely. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool for an hour.
Transfer the mixture to a ceramic or a glass jar. Use only a glass or a ceramic jar for making this recipe. Metals and plastic containers tend to react to the pickle and hence using them is not recommended.
I refrigerate my pickle. You can store it refrigerated for upto a month.
For Marinating and Cooking Prawns
- 250 grams small prawns (w eight after cleaning)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the Pickle
- 60 grams ginger
- 60 grams garlic (weighed after peeling)
- 20 green chillies, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup vinegar
Masala Powders
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- Clean, Peel and de-vein the prawns. Add in the salt and turmeric and mix well. Set it on a strainer for the excess water in the prawns to drain. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat quarter cup of oil in a pan and add in the prawns and the red chilli powder. Fry on low flame for 5 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the remaining quarter cup of oil in the pan and add in the crushed ginger and garlic mixture. Saute for two minutes. Add in the chopped green chillies and continue to saute until the garlic and the ginger are nicely roasted. About 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Add in the masala powders and the salt and fry for a minute.
- Add in the prawns, vinegar and quarter cup of water. Do not add all of the vinegar at once. First add the 1/4 cup of vinegar and taste it. Add more if you think you might need more. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the mixture would become slightly dry and the oil would start to float on top completely. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool for an hour.
- Transfer the mixture to a ceramic or a glass jar. You can store it refrigerated for upto a month.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Pickle
- Cuisine: South Indian, Kerala
For Marinating and Cooking Prawns
- 250 grams small prawns (w eight after cleaning)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the Pickle
- 60 grams ginger
- 60 grams garlic (weighed after peeling)
- 20 green chillies, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup vinegar
Masala Powders
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- Clean, Peel and de-vein the prawns. Add in the salt and turmeric and mix well. Set it on a strainer for the excess water in the prawns to drain. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat quarter cup of oil in a pan and add in the prawns and the red chilli powder. Fry on low flame for 5 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the remaining quarter cup of oil in the pan and add in the crushed ginger and garlic mixture. Saute for two minutes. Add in the chopped green chillies and continue to saute until the garlic and the ginger are nicely roasted. About 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Add in the masala powders and the salt and fry for a minute.
- Add in the prawns, vinegar and quarter cup of water. Do not add all of the vinegar at once. First add the 1/4 cup of vinegar and taste it. Add more if you think you might need more. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the mixture would become slightly dry and the oil would start to float on top completely. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool for an hour.
- Transfer the mixture to a ceramic or a glass jar. You can store it refrigerated for upto a month.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Pickle
- Cuisine: South Indian, Kerala
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/kerala-prawn-pickle-recipe-chemmeen-pickle/
If you have a party at home and want to impress your guests, then go bake this. This is one of our family favorites and I have made it for almost all parties at home.
For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (an Indian mixie works perfectly well too). Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.
Dump onto a cling wrap surface and knead quickly into a ball. Do not knead for a long time. Just try to gather everything together and thats all there is to it. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough directly on a parchment paper slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Cut the parchment roughly to that size so you know that you need to roll to the size of the paper. Spread a plastic cling wrap sheet on top of the dough while rolling. This will help in smooth rolling as the dough wont stick to the rolling pin when rolled. Just roll to a rough rectangle. Its a rustic tart. The measurement or the shape need not be accurate. Using a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate for another one more hour.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices. I love my Melon Baller for removing the stem and seeds and I use it almost every single day.
Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot with the butter.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine!
When the tart’s done, heat the apricot jelly or orange marmalade with water until its completely melted. Brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture.
Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
For the pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 150 grams cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup ice water
For the apples
- 4 Apples (preferably tart apples like Granny Smith)
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, small-diced
- 1/3 cup apricot jelly or orange marmalade
- 2 tablespoons water
- For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (an Indian mixie works perfectly well too). Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.
- Dump onto a cling wrap surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the dough directly on a parchment paper slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate for another one more hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices.
- Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot with the butter.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine!
- When the tart’s done, heat the apricot jelly or orange marmalade with water until its completely melted. Brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture.
- Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
