Spicy Prawns Fry Recipe/Nadan Chemmeen Varuthathu

Spicy Prawns Fry/Nadan Chemmeen Varuthathu

Today's recipe is a spicy, succulent, and delicious prawns fry. Spicy flavored jumbo prawns/shrimp are fried to crispy golden perfection. Do you love prawns? Prawns are popular among seafood lovers and are my absolute favorite. This simple and flavorful fried prawns is an addictive snack and is a pure joy to indulge with.

This Kerala style prawns fry has intense flavor from the masala paste made of garlic, ginger, shallots, coconut, and chilly powder. Now we all know, certain flavors have an affinity for each other. There can be no doubt that garlic, ginger, black pepper, and coconut oil complement the flavor of prawns. Throw in some curry leaves, and the flavor will be divine. There is a little tang from the vinegar and makes it even more delicious. If you do not want to use vinegar, try squeezing fresh lemon juice just before serving. This crispy prawns ready under 15 minutes and will be the star of any meal. This one I called nadan style or home style prawns fry because it is my grandmother's recipe. It has a very enticing aroma and is a great appetizer and also goes as a side dish with rice.

Few tip to make crispy fried prawns
Prawns fry is easy to make. There are a few tips you should follow to get them crispy and golden. Try to keep the marinade compact on the shrimp. Adding a teaspoon of corn starch helps to hold the masala together. Rice flour is also a good substitute. The trick to remember when frying is not to crowd the pan. Fry it in a single layer and turn the heat to low-medium. Do not overcook the prawns. Let it cook on low heat till the outer layer becomes crisp and golden brown, not more than 2-3 minutes on each side. For this recipe, I am using coconut oil and grated coconut for authentic Kerala flavor. You can substitute with coconut oil with butter of any oil of your choice.

Spicy Prawns Fry/Nadan Chemmeen Varuthathu Recipe

Ingredients

Prawns- 1 lb
Onion thinly sliced- 1/2
Ginger- 2 inch thick
Shallot- 1
Garlic -3-4 pods
Coconut shredded- 3 tbs (or sliced coconut peices)
Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly flakes- 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1/8 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Corn starch/Rice flour- 1 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste and one tbs of vinegar
Curry leaves-a few
Coconut oil for frying

Make a smooth paste of ginger, garlic, shallot, fennel seeds, chilly powder, and half of the grated coconut. Mix in fennel powder, pepper powder, and salt.
Clean and de-vein prawns. If you like, you can keep the tail intact. Marinate the prawns for 10 minutes. Just before frying, add vinegar, dry red chilly flakes and sprinkle corn starch and coat the shrimp.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add curry leaves, and 1/2 tsp of finely chopped ginger and fry till there is a sweet aroma of ginger. Layer prawns and shallow fry on both sides till crispy in the outside in a low medium flame. With a slotted spoon, remove the prawns from the oil and add thinly sliced onions and a tablespoon of shredded coconut. Alternatively, you can use thinly sliced coconut. Fry till the onions and coconut turn golden brown. Sprinkle on top of the fried prawns. Serve warm.