Prawn Do Pyaza: Prawns cooked in Onion Sauce

Blend one cup/1 onion to a puree. Slice the other onion in thin half moons.

Shell, de-vein and wash the shrimp. Pat them dry and sprinkle half the turmeric and some salt and allow them to sit for about fifteen minutes.

Heat about one fourth of the oil; place the shrimp on the hot oil in a single layer and cook until they start to curl and turn opaque, for a couple of minutes. Flip them over and cook the other side. Remove them and set them aside.

In a bowl, add /4 cup of hot water and add the coriander powder, the rest of the turmeric, salt and the red chili powder. Stir and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil and allow it to heat up. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom. After thirty seconds add the cumin seeds. When the seeds sizzle add the slit green chilli pepper and the sliced onions and fry them until they start to turn golden or slightly brown on the edges. Now add the pureed onions. Cook at medium heat while stirring very frequently so the paste does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

After 7-10 minutes add the mix of spices and water to the pan, stir well, cover and cook until the oil separates along the sides of the pan, while stirring frequently. If you are not using milk/cream and using tomato instead, add the tomato/puree or the paste combined with a few tablespoon of water now. Make sure the onion paste is well cooked or else the sauce will smell of raw onions. If the raw taste is still there, keep cooking at low to medium heat, making sure it does not burn.

Once the onion paste is well cooked, add the cooked prawns and toss for the spice mix to coat them. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the cream/milk, stir it all together, cook for a minute and remove from heat. Adjust salt and garnish with fresh herbs.

Serve hot with rice/pilaf/pulao.

Preparation Time: Less than 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Difficulty Level: Intermediate Serves: 4 as side