Ben and Jeff attended a cooking demonstration at our hotel here in Kochi, southern India and Sylvia and I got there just in time to have a taste. It was a local dish called "Prawns Moily." How delightful! The preparation was so simple, but the flavors complex and so, so fresh. And like everything we've eaten for the last two weeks, all the ingredients were locally sourced. The prawns, for heaven's sake, were from about 100 yards away! The coconuts practically dropped in our laps here and their oil, juice and milk are used frequently in cooking in this region, called Kerala. Don't be scared off by the use of coconut oil. I've been using it for years and its reputation as a bad oil is undeserved. Quite the opposite. If you make sure you use the unprocessed, organic "extra virgin" brands of coconut oil, you'll reap benefits too numerous to mention here, and I promise you, you won't get fat and your cholesterol numbers may improve. Here's the recipe, chock full of great Indian spices we've come to love and will be bringing home with us because you just can't get them as fresh at home. Sorry for the metric measures. I don't have the time right now to convert them. (Meanwhile, check "India Diary" for more info and pictures of Kerala: /days-11--12----tropical-kerala.html ) Prawns Moily Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes Prawns 20 grams Coconut oil 30 ml Fenugreek seeds 1 gm Onion (in rings) 100 gm Garlic (in slices) 10 gm Ginger (julienned) 10 gm Green chili (slit) 12 gm Curry leaves 2 sprigs Tumeric powder 1 gm Salt to taste Water 60 ml Coconut Milk 100 ml Lime Juice 10 ml Tomato (sliced) 75 gm Heat the oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds. Add the garlic, ginger, green chili, onions, curry leaves and saute until transparent. Add the turmeric powder and water. Add the cleaned prawns with salt. When the prawns look cooked, add the coconut milk and continue heating, but be careful not to allow the broth to come to a boil. Finish with lime juice, garnished with curry leaves and slices of tomato, cut into small bites. Chinese fishing nets, where prawns and other fish are caught. These land-tethered contraptions are found almost exclusively in Kerala. These were only 50 yards from our hotel. Comments are closed.
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