Daab Chingri

This headless prawn Bengali delicacy is a salute to the unassuming coconut and its many parts. Tender coconut cream and shell lend the prawn a quaint quality. Tender coconut cream is scooped out with bits of its brown skin and made a smooth paste . Prawns with their tail in place are sautéed with oil, chilli and mustard paste. Tender coconut paste is added to the prawn and brought to boil, cooked and served with rice.The dish is served in a tender coconut shell.

Serves: 3

Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Daab Chingri

You will need

2 tender coconut ( pick small - it should fit inside the oven )
10 prawns
1 tablespoon oil
50 g onion paste
40 g ginger - garlic paste
1 tablespoon mustard paste
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water
Dough for sealing

Method

Take a green coconut and lop off the top. Scoop out the pulp. Mash and keep aside.

Wash, clean and devein prawns. Remove the head and keep the tail intact.

Boil prawns in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Saute onion, ginger - garlic, a pinch turmeric powder and mustard paste for 5 - 7 minutes ( till the raw smell goes ).

Add mashed coconut pulp, slit green chillies and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat.

Add boiled prawns, salt to taste and sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cook for 3 minutes ( till the gravy thickens ).

Stuff each coconut with five prawns and the thick gravy. Place back the lopped off head and seal it with wet dough. Now keep it in an oven (set at 250° F) for about five minutes. Serve the coconuts after removing the top with steamed rice.

Recipe Credit: Chef Rupam Banik, The Peerless Inn, Calcutta, Rahul Verma , The Hindu & The Telegraph