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Prawn and tamarind curry with chunky cucumber raita

Prawn and tamarind curry with chunky cucumber raita

Yields 4 Servings
occasions
Dinner
dairy ingredients
Yogurt
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Prawn and tamarind curry with chunky cucumber raita

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients checklist for the curry

Ingredients checklist for the cucumber raita

DIRECTIONS

Ingredients checklist for the curry

1
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7. Cover the tamarind pulp with the boiling water in a small bowl and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as it softens. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and fry the shallots, ginger and garlic for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Press the tamarind purée through a sieve into the pan, discarding the fibres. Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar, cayenne and a little salt, bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes until you have a rich, well-reduced sauce. This can be made in advance.
2
Stir the prawns, half the mint leaves and the chilli rings into the sauce and transfer to a roasting or gratin dish (about 30 × 20cm) that holds the curry in a shallow layer. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and roast for 10 minutes, then scatter over a few more mint leaves. Serve with rice or noodles and the raita.

Ingredients checklist for the cucumber raita

3
Place the cucumber slices in a bowl, toss with a liberal sprinkling of salt and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the juices. Rinse the cucumber in a sieve and pat dry. Mix the yogurt with the sugar and a little salt in a bowl, then fold in the cucumber. Transfer to a clean serving bowl, coarsely grind the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and scatter over, and if you like a little paprika. If making it in advance, cover and chill, give it a stir before serving and then sprinkle over the spice.

Tamarind sharpens this simple and lively tomato sauce, laced with ginger, garlic and mint. Of all the raitas, cucumber does it best; you want something really cooling to dampen the fire of all those chillies and spice. This chunky take on it serves as a salad instead of a sauce. I’d ladle it over some skinny noodles or plain rice.

Ingredients checklist for the curry

Ingredients checklist for the cucumber raita

Instructions For Curry

1
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7. Cover the tamarind pulp with the boiling water in a small bowl and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as it softens. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and fry the shallots, ginger and garlic for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Press the tamarind purée through a sieve into the pan, discarding the fibres. Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar, cayenne and a little salt, bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes until you have a rich, well-reduced sauce. This can be made in advance.
2
Stir the prawns, half the mint leaves and the chilli rings into the sauce and transfer to a roasting or gratin dish (about 30 × 20cm) that holds the curry in a shallow layer. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and roast for 10 minutes, then scatter over a few more mint leaves. Serve with rice or noodles and the raita.

Instructions For the Cucumber Raita

1
Place the cucumber slices in a bowl, toss with a liberal sprinkling of salt and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the juices. Rinse the cucumber in a sieve and pat dry. Mix the yogurt with the sugar and a little salt in a bowl, then fold in the cucumber. Transfer to a clean serving bowl, coarsely grind the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and scatter over, and if you like a little paprika. If making it in advance, cover and chill, give it a stir before serving and then sprinkle over the spice.
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