Prawn/ Shrimp Fry (Chemmeen Fry)

My husband is crazy abt shrimps, and everyone in my family knows about that. So whenever we r invited to a dinner/lunch one item to be sure shot on the table is a prawn fry. Why? Any guess.. Ya Ya and you know what he just loves shrimp fried. And since the way to a mans heart is blah blah blah, i learned to deal with shrimp. Though i dont like the smell of shrimp and the effort that goes in to cleaning it, the outcome makes you feel that its all worthy. And since i am in the modern world i can get the shrimp cleaned and deveined, though u need to clean it again. My mother in law makes grt shrimp fry, though she doesnt eat shrimp. So heres the recipe, thanks to my mother and mother in law for sharing their experience with shrimp.

1/2 kg shrimp (U can make it with cooked shrimp, which is available at the freezer section in WalMart, the outcome is same)
1 Onion chopped
1-2" ginger chopped
2-3 garlic chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/4 tsp chilly pwd
salt as reqd
Coconut Oil
Curry leaves
First clean the shrimp, make sure the vein is removed and also the tail and shell. You can get it cleaned. I actually dont know how to deal with fresh shrimp. I usually go for the cleaned one. I am lazzyyyyy....Ok coming back to the recipe.Mix the cleaned shrimp with salt, turmeric pwd and chilly pwd. If you like it spicy add more qty of the pwds. Now in a frying pan, put chopped onion, ginger, garlic and the shrimp. Add just enough water to cover it as water comes from the shrimp. Let it cook. After abt 5 minutes, when all the liquid is vaporised, add about 2 tbsp coconut oil, and put some curry leaves..Oh boy the aroma that comes is really grt when u add these. Now let the shrimp fry in the oil. You can turn off the stove when the shrimp is almost reddish brown.
And you have a grt dish on the table.
I am planning to try something different with shrimp, so you can soon expect a new entry for shrimp in my blog.
Meanwhile enjoy the shrimp fry

Koottu curry (Traditional kerala recipe)

Its not the typical koottu recipe, as i cant find the exact ingredients, but i tried with the closest ingredients and it taste right. The main ingredient if i'm right is the black chana(kadala) which i dont get where i live, so i substituted with white chana(chick peas). Taste just right. And instead of yam /pumpkin i put cucumber. If u r a risk taker try it. And i should thank my mum to give me a go ahead , as she was confident that it would turn rite and she was right..
So heres the recipe.
Koottu curry with a twist

1 can chick peas(or 1 cup boiled chana)
1 Plantain
1 Cucumber (yam/pumpkin)
1 cup grated coconut(dessicated will work)
2 chilly
jeera as reqd
salt as reqd
turmeric pwd as reqd
whole pepper -3,4
Dried red chilly, Urad dal, Mustard (to garnish) little

Remove the skin of the plantain. Cut it length wise in to four parts and cut it small,..may be a cm length. Do the same for the cucumber and boil them in water with salt and turmeric pwd. While thats being cooked grind 1/2 cup coconut, jeera, chilly and pepper together to a coarse form. Once the plantain and cucumber is cooked add the chana and grinded mix and saute till its sorta thick. Now in another pan splutter some mustard, urad dal and dry red chilly and some curry leaves. The smell of curry leaves always bring tasty memories of kerala. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut to the pan and fry them till it turns brown. Now add this to the plantain cucumber pan and mix well. Stir for a while and off the stove..You got kootttu curry. Grt with rice and a part of sadhya. Enjoy...