1 1/2 cup of prawns (as fresh as you can find and cleaned)
2 small red onions, chopped into small cubes
1 small tomato
6-10 fresh curry leaves
2 green chilies, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 in piece of fresh ginger, chopped fine
1 1/2 T chili powder (this is where the rubber meets the road)
2 t turmeric powder
2 t coriander powder
a small ball of tamarind (the size of a lime)
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 t mustard seeds
1/2 t fenugreek
salt to taste ( at least 1/2 t)
Clean and wash the prawns. Add 1/4 t termeric, 1/4 t chili powder and a few pinches of salt to the prawns. Make a paste and marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat a Kadai. (Indian wok). Pour 1/4 cup of the oil and bring to a medium heat. Fry the prawns until they start to brown, then set aside.
Heat a sauce pan, pouring in the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds until they pop. Then add the fenugreek. When it crackles, add the chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and sliced tomato until soft. Add the remaining chili powder and turmeric and stir for a few seconds.
Pour in tamarind and 1/2 cup of water, a pinch more salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the prawns and a pinch more salt. Simmer on a slow fire until the sauce thickens. Remove from the fire and let sit.
* For a vegetarian version, substitute chunks of eggplant that have been fried separately. Use all ingredients (except fenugreek) and follow the same method