Prawn Caldine

I just love a good, creamy curry and there is no reason why everyone shouldn't be able to have one. Coconut is a great alternative to cream and is usually used in Asian cooking.

One fantastic recipe that I swear by and that I repeat over and over, is Rick Stein's Prawn Caldine. It requires a lot of ingredients that unless you do a lot of asian cooking, you will probably have to go out and buy. But I swear, you will want to cook this again and again like me, so it is well worth it, and most of the ingredients are things to keep in your cupboard for ages.

550g unpeeled headless raw prawns
2 tablespoons coconut vinegar
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons white poppy seeds or ground almonds (I've always used almonds)
4 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
2.5cm ginger, chopped finely
400ml coconut milk
4 tablespoons tamarind water - I bought a paste which dissolves in boiled water
150ml water
5 mild green chillies, halved, seeded and cut into long thin shreds
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt

Peel prawns, leaving last tail segment in place. Mix with the vinegar and half teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Put turmeric powder, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and white poppy seeds into spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. I don't have a spice grinder so just use a pestle and mortar. It requires a lot of elbow grease but I reckon as long as all the bits are broken a bit, and you can smell it all, then that's enough!
Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and add the onion, garlic and ginger, frying gently for 5 mins. Stir in the ground spices and fry for 2 minutes. Them if using ground almonds, add them.
Add the coconut milk, tamarind water, water, 3/4 of the sliced chillies and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins.

Add the prawns and simmer for 3-4 mins so they don't overcook. Stir in the rest of the chillies and coriander and serve with steamed rice.