Quick prawn curry

A glut of cherry tomatoes would have to be one of life’s most charming problems. Small, juicy and impossibly red the best solution is to pop them straight into your gob and enjoy the tomatoey explosion.

Whilst we have made a fair dent in their bountiful harvest by eating them straight from the scraggy vine the past 3 weeks have seen many a meal inspired by long dreamy Mediterranean days. We also have an abundance of basil, so pizza, pasta and bbq salads have dominated precedings and its time for a change.

This is a “curry” I remember my Mum making. I use the word loosely as it is the very antithesis of heavy slow cooked meaty brasises. It’s ridiculously light and easy and can literally be on the table in minutes.

Notably absent of chilli this is a chance to play with different flavours.  You could enrich it with a splash of cream, but more often than not, I don’t have any on hand so can vouch that it is not essential. Thankfully most of the ingredients can be found lurking around the pantry.

Quick, healthy and delicious; there is alot to like about this recipe.

 

If using frozen prawns make sure they are fully defrosted and drain them of excess juices.

600 g raw prawns

1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion (sliced)
4 cloves of garlic (sliced)
2cm knob of ginger
4 cardamom pods (bruised)
3 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam Marsala
A pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper (err on the generous side)
400g diced tinned tomatoes
½ a punnet of cherry tomatoes
Juice of half a lime

1.       Heat oil in a large frypan and cook onion and garlic until soft.  Add the finely grated, ginger and spices, cook until fragrant.

2.       Add the tinned tomatoes and mix well, bring up to a vigorous boil.

3.       Add the prawns and cook briskly for 1 min, then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for another minute or two, stirring as you go.

4.       Add in the cherry tomatoes and a squeeze of lime juice just before serving alongside a mountain of fluffy white rice.