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.
Yields 4 Servings
occasions
Dinnerdairy ingredients
YogurtPrawn 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.
