Chingri Macher Aam Kasundi (Prawns in a Mustard and Raw Mango Based Gravy)

Tender Prawns coated with creamy gravy of mustard, raw mangoes and coconut will surely stimulate your taste buds. The pungent aroma of the Mustard paste and the little sour taste of raw mangoes beautifully balance the heat from the green chilies and the sweetness of the coconut. A dish, that will warm you up in chilli winter days and will leave you crave some more. If you love prawns then give it a try. Follow this recipe and have the dish with hot steamed white rice. I know you will thank me for sharing this. 

I know am late in posting this as the prime ingredient to this, the raw mangoes have almost disappeared from the market. I prepared and wanted to post this long ago but something or the other came by and today here I am, late in posting this. But if you have a bottle of Kasundi (Bengali raw mangoes and mustard sauce) you can make it anytime of the year. I dint have any so I prepared them with fresh raw mangoes from my backyard. My Dida often made this with homemade kasundi. After serving the rice with charchari, bhaja (fry), lentil, vegetables and fish curries she would serve this tongue tickling sweet-sour-hot prawn dish to make everyone lick their plate and crave for more. This tastes even better if you eat it on a winter day…the heat from the mustard and green chilies and the light sour taste of the marinated mangoes in it will surely warm you up. Now making Kasundi is an art and I have yet to master the courage to try my hands in it. That’s a really lengthy, time consuming and difficult thing to make. These days hardly there is anybody who makes Kasundi at home as they are readily available in market. All you have to do is go to the market and buy your favourite brand, Which am also planning to do this winter…and for me the best brand of any condiment comes from my favourite shop…The one and only Jaina shilpa Madir.

Jain shilpa Mandir is a very famous condiment making company in Bengal. Their spread of sweet and sour pickles, spreads, preserves and churans (digestives) is huge. Starting from Tibetan bamboo shoot pickle to the ubiquitous anardana golis, you name it and they have it in their product line. and the taste is simply out of the world. Be it the pickles or the murabba or the churans…the taste is just perfect. I am yet to meet any person who have crossed their shop without standing their and sniffing the air, hung heavy with the balanced sweet sour and pungent  aroma of the condiments they produce. As students that used to be the first shop that we wanted to visit once we entered Poush Mela. Till date the huge shop with the long row of ‘boyam’ (glass pickle jars) filled with the most amazing pickles and preserves attracts the most crowd. They have small stripes of cardboard pieces, which the attendant will dip in the desired jars and will handover to you to taste. Many an afternoons we have spent in the shop trying out as many pickles as we wanted and then buying a very small amount from our meager pocket money and am planning to do the same with friends this winter. But before I get to relive those long lost moments here is the recipe for you.

On another note I prefer not to comment anything on the last post but frankly that recipe tastes delicious especially if you need a boost up for your taste buds. Thanks a ton friends for your lovely comments and your  concerns. I am better now but the medicines have made me loose my appetite. All these talks of hot and tangy prawn curry and pickles is now making my mouth water. Let me leave now to cook something for my sore tongue and you enjoy the recipe. 

Chingri Macher Aam Kasundi

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

Prawns: 250 gms (washed and devained)

Grated coconut: 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds: 11/2 tbsp
(if you are using Kasundi use 3 tsp)

Grated raw mango: 1 medium (chose the hard green mango, it should be tart)

Green chilies: 4/5

Mustard oil: 3 tbsp

Chili powder: ½ tsp (here I hardly get green chilies that are hot so I have to use a little bit of chili powder. If you get good quality green chilies please use only that)

Turmeric

Salt

sugar

Method:

Grind the mustard seeds with 1-2 green chilies, coconut and little water. Keep aside.

Smear the prawns with little salt and turmeric and keep covered.

Heat the oil and add 1-2 green chili (slited), when splutter add the prawns. Sauté on low for a couple of minutes or till the prawns turn a little coral in colour.

Add the grated raw mango and a pinch of salt. Keep mixing with a very light hand till the raw smell of the mangoes are gone (approx 2 minutes).

Add the mustard paste and turmeric. Give it a good mix and cook on low till it coats the prawns.

Add 1 cup water. Mix, add sugar and salt and if required chili powder. Cover and let it simmer on low till all the water evaporates and the gravy coats the prawns.

Serve hot or at room temperature with hot steamed white rice.

Enjoy a sensational hot-sweet-spicy taste with every morsel.  

A Homemaker's Note:

When Dida used to cook this I was a vegetarian so she always made this with paneer for me. it tastes equally good. so if you are a vegetarian try it with paneer and adjust the spices as per your preference.

Tags:

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