Chingudi Jhol

I used to wait for Sunday for reasons more than one ...... certainly not because it was a school holiday but because it was a day free from Corn Flakes and Chattua (made from different pulses and wheat ground together and mixed with milk), also no fights with my sister for the bathroom. It was holiday for mom too ....... so a day for good food and dining !! Like every Sunday, dad left for the fish market early morning, even before I was out of bed . He had to fulfill his duty of getting the fresh catch for his family. That was one of his daily chores apart from the many others that he did to help his loving wife and kids of coarse.

I woke up with the aroma of egg roll ... It amalgamated with the agarbatti smell that mom had lit after the morning Puja. But I was only bothered about the hot egg roll !! So without making a noise I brushed my teeth and ran to the kitchen. I got my serving of egg roll and sat before the television watching my favorite program 'The Jungle Book', popularly known as Mogli and snacked away on the egg roll.

Once dad was back I ran like a little kitten to open the door and inspect the nylon bag in which he usually bought fish. (We have cared for the environment since those days ..... no plastic bags). 'Chingudi' (Prawns) I screamed in delight .... nothing could have made my day better than my favorite egg roll in the morning and then Chingudi Jhol for lunch. Dad and mom discussed about the pricey Chingudi that we were going to have for lunch as my mother carefully cleaned them and smeared them with some turmeric and salt.

Chaarrrr Chaarrrr ...... I heard the Chingudi fly into the hot oil ..... and then the divine smell of the prawn was in every nook and corner of our house. I hurried to the kitchen, my eyes lit up seeing the red-orange fried ones !! I reached out for one ..... and then one more. My mother warned me that if I had my share I would not get any extra for lunch.

I could not wait for lunch to be served. Nothing tastes good than having your favorite dishes cooked by your mother and then eating it with your entire family. Truely satisfying !!

Ingredients

Shrimps - 20 in number

Onion - 1 medium size

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 4 cloves (big ones)

Tomato - 1

Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch

Whole Corriander seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Chillie Powder - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Clean and devein the shrimps/ prawns. Smear them with some turmeric powder and salt.

2 Grind Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Cumin seeds, Corriander seeds and Cinnamon stick in a mixie to a fine paste. Puree the tomato and keep aside.

3 Heat oil in a pan and fry the shrimps/ prawns. Keep aside.

4 Pour some more oil in a kadhai. When hot put the ground masala, turmeric, red chillie powder and fry till it leaves oil and is cooked. Add the tomato puree and cook throughly. Once cooked add some water and let the gravy simmer.

5 Add the fried shrimps/ prawns to the gravy. Sprinkle the garam masala and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

Do not over fry the shrimps, else they turn rubbery.

Variation

Fry some potatoes and add to the gravy. Use ready to use tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes.

Other Names

Chingudi Jhol - Prawn/Shrimp Gravy,Prawn /Shrimp curry