King Prawn Pathia

Suggested Accompaniments
Rice, Roti or Naan BreadMango ChutneyLime Pickle

Base Curry Sauce #1

1 tablespoons oil
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
(100 gm prepared weight – red or white onion can also be used)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
2 heaped teaspoons tomato purée
PACKET : BASE_1

Heat a wok or heavy pan and add oil.
Fry the onion for about 3 min until it becomes translucent.
Add the ginger and fry for 1 min.
Add the garlic and fry for 1 min.
Continue to fry until the ingredients turn slightly brown (Do not allow the ingredients to burn at any stage.)
Transfer the mixture to a mug and add the chopped tomatoes and water to ¾ fill the mug.
Blend this until very smooth.
Reheat the pan, add a little more oil if necessary, and stir fry the tomato purée for 2 min.
Add the contents of the packet BASE_1 and fry for a few seconds.
Add the blended mixture to the pan with 200 ml of water.
Simmer for 5 min, stirring.
Stir in enough water to make the mixture up to 300 ml.

Notes

If you are not using it immediately, the sauce should be allowed to cool and then transferred to a sealed container and stored in the fridge or freezer. Use within a few days if refrigerated.
The blending will need to be done either in a food processor or using a hand blender in the cooking pan.

200 g Large Raw Shrimp, shelled and deveined, or 250g of preferred meat or fish, cut into 2cm cubes
300 ml Base Curry Sauce (above)
3 tablespoons oil
PACKET : PATHIA_1
1 small onion – finely chopped
2 tbs ginger & garlic paste (see Note 1)
1 anchovy fillet, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1½ tablespoons coriander stalks, finely chopped
PACKET : PATHIA_2
½ tablespoon smooth mango chutney (optional, but preferred)
½ tablespoon sugar or jaggery
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate or 1 tablespoon white vinegar
PACKET : PATHIA_3
Chopped Coriander to garnish

Preparation – pre-cook the chicken or meat if using – not needed for fish or prawns

Heat wok and add a little oil
Mix 3 tablespoons of Base Curry Sauce sauce with 3 tablespoons of water
Add the diluted sauce and chicken ‘cubes’ and mix together well
Fry over a medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 3 min or until the meat/fish is properly cooked through

Heat the oil over medium high heat for 30 seconds.
Add the contents of PATHIA_1 and cook for 30-45 seconds.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the chopped onion and fry until soft and translucent, then add the minced anchovy if using. The anchovy should dissolve into the oil.
Stir in the contents of PATHIA_2 and thoroughly coat the chopped onion with the spices. Add the chopped coriander stalks.
Add the tomato puree.
Let this bubble for about a minute and then add 100ml of the base curry sauce. Let this simmer for a minute or so, only stirring if it begins to stick to the pan.
Add another 100ml of the base curry sauce along with the mango chutney, sugar, lemon juice and tamarind concentrate.
Stir this all up and then pour in the prawns. Let this cook in the sauce for a few minutes until cooked through. Add the rest of the sauce and cook until it is your preferred thickness.
When the prawns are cooked through and the sauce is as you like it, sprinkle with the contents of PATHIA_3.
Check for seasoning adding more sweet, sour or salt if needed and serve hot.

Notes

or 1 tablespoon of ginger paste and 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
or 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped and a 2cm cube of ginger, finely chopped.
You could also mix 1 tablespoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon ginger powder with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon oil to make a paste.