Chettinad Prawn or Eral Masala is a yummy delicacy from the Chettinad cuisine. It goes well with Rice, roti, idli, or dosa too.
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Chettinad Eral Masala Recipe | Chettinad Prawn Masala with step by step pictures. Chettinad Prawn Masala is too yummy as the name. It is one of the best prawn recipes I have ever made, simply love this to do with Rice. Tastes equally good with Idli or Roti, however Prawn when cooked neatly with masala does the magic. Now let's see how to prepare Chettinad Prawn Masala.
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What is Chettinad Cusinie:
Chettinad is a region near the sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. Chettinad is famous for its food, Mansions. To be more precise Chettinad is known for its freshly ground masala and aromatic cooking.
It is so fresh and delectable while using the freshly ground masala in our cooking. Usually, in the olden days, the masala is ground using an “Ammi Kal”(grinding stone), which makes the cooking aromatic.
Chettinad Specialities:
We have a variety of dishes that specializes from the Chettinad Region, Of that the most famous one is the Chettinad Kavuni arisi sweet, made with the special black rice, It is considered to be brought from Burma as the Chettiar back in those days are traders.
Secret Ingredient in Chettinad Cuisine:
The most common ingredients in Chettinad Cuisine are Fennel Seeds, Cinnamon, Cloves, Bay Leaf, Cumin Seeds, and a few other Whole spices and the Kalpasi (Black Stone Flower) is considered to be the main secret ingredient that enhances the taste in Chettinad Cooking.
Chettinad Prawn Masala:
Coming to this recipe, it is a delicious prawn masala / Iral Thokku made with aromatic masala, I have not used any whole spices and freshly ground masala, but I have used the combination of masala, which is equally good.
How to cook Prawn:
Prawn is yummy seafood, it hardly takes 5 mins to cook. The Only catch is that not cook for more time as it become rubbery.
How to prepare Chettinad Masala Prawns
1.In a Kadai add in oil, once it's hot add in the fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let them splutter and then add in the onions saute till glossy.
2. Next add in the ginger-garlic paste, cook till the raw smell goes.
3. Then add in the chopped tomatoes cook till they turn mushy.
4. Now add in the chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder Mix well and add 2 tbsp of water .cook till the masala blends well.
5. Now add in the cleaned prawn mix well cover and cook for 3 mins.
6. And then open the Kadai and cook till the prawns are done. It gets cooked in another 2 mins. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the stove.
Chettinad Shrimp is now ready.
Tips & Variations
- Chettinad prawn biryani, Chettinad prawn pepper fry, Chettinad prawns sukka are the other few famous Chettinad delicacies to try with shrimp.
- The recipe can be prepared as a dry version or as a semi-gravy type.
- For preparing the prawn masala dry, after adding the water you need to cook until the masala thickens, and then add in the prawns. It also releases water as it cooks. So do not cover the pan and cook.
- For preparing the curry type consistency you can go ahead adding more water and adjusting the spices added accordingly.
- The prawn masala recipes go well with rice, roti, idli, dosa, biryani too.
- You can also try the same recipe with chicken. But the cooking time varies for chicken.
Similar Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chettinad Prawn Masala | Shrimp Masala
Standard 1 cup measures 240 ml
Ingredients
- 15 Prawns
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1 Onions or Shallots – 15 nos
- 1 Tomato
- 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp Chilli powder
- ½ tsp Coriander powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt as needed
- 2 tbsp Water
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a Kadai add in oil, once it's hot add in the fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let them splutter and then add in the onions saute till glossy.
- Next add in the ginger-garlic paste, cook till the raw smell goes.
- Then add in the chopped tomatoes cook till they turn mushy.
- Now add in the chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder Mix well and add 2 tbsp of water .cook till the masala blends well.
- Now add in the cleaned prawn mix well cover and cook for 3 mins.
- And then open the closed Kadai and cook till the prawns are done. It gets cooked in another 2 mins. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the stove.
Video
Notes
- Goes well Rice as a side dish.
- Use small onions or shallots , I dint have so I used the regular onions.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist, the nutrition value provided here is an estimate. It will vary based on the quantity and brands of the products used.
Note: This post is originally from 2016. I have updated with new Recipe card, Pictures and video now.
Anusha Praveen Rajagopal
Fantastic presentation and well explained Sharmi