Prawn Pickle / Chemmeen Achar

Ingredients (Makes 1 – 1.5 cup)

1. Chemmeen / Prawns – 350 gm, clean, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel (I used cooked salad prawns)

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder – 2 tsp

Salt – As required

2. Gingelly oil / nallenna – 1/4 cup + 2 – 3 tbsp

3. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 pinch

4. Ginger and garlic – 1.5 – 2 tbsp each, thinly sliced

Green chilly – 1 – 2, slit

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder – 1.5 – 2 tbsp ( or 1 tbsp regular chilly powder + 1 tbsp kashmiri chilly powder)

Fenugreek powder / uluva podi – 1/4 tsp

Hing / asafoetida – 1 – 2 pinches

Salt – To taste

6. Vinegar – 1/2 cup

Method

1. Combine prawns with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp chilly powder and salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat gingelly / nallenna oil in a kadai over medium-high heat. Fry prawns for a few minutes in 1 – 2 batches. Do not over fry, they will turn hard. Remove to a plate.

3. In the remaining oil, splutter mustard seeds and fry 1 pinch fenugreek seeds until reddish brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Fry until golden. Switch off the flame. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and hing/ kaya podi. Switch off. Stir for a minute until their raw smell leaves. Switch on the flame and add vinegar immediately. Bring to a boil. Taste-check for salt. Add fried shrimp. Mix well and cook for a few minutes, Switch off. Cool down completely and transfer to a clean air-tight container. Pour 1 – 2 tbsp heated and cooled gingelly oil on top (optional, done for a longer shelf life). It tastes best after one day. Keep refrigerated for a longer shelf life.