2008
An Everyday Prawn Curry
This isn’t one of those curries that involves careful and lengthy grinding of your own spices nor is it an ‘authentic’ anything. It’s just an everyday dinner, quick, easy and (thanks to Lidl) cheap to prepare. It tastes terrific and always goes down a treat.
So, this is what you need to make enough for two people. Apart from the rice, it’s all made in one frying pan - use the sort that has a lid - and takes about 20 minutes.
1 onion and a half onion
1 stick celery
1/4 of a red pepper
2 cloves garlic
100g Sugar snap peas
4 scallions
Pat of butter
1/2 can of unsweetened coconut milk
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 packet (250g) of frozen King Prawns, thawed
Curry powder
Chili powder
I cup raw Basmati rice
Step 1: Start the rice
Before you do anything, get the rice on. I’m not going to apologise for telling you how to cook the rice, since a lot of people have poor results with Lidl’s Basmati, but I’ve found that it turns out great with this method.
You need a saucepan with a well fitted lid. Put a full cupful of rice into the saucepan. We’re not talking an American cup here - just a cup or mug from your cupboard, the size isn’t of the essense. Fill the same cup with cold water and add to the rice. Then add another two dessert spoons full of water, 3 if you used a large mug to measure the rice.
Cover the saucepan and bring the rice to the boil. Keep an eye on it and as soon as it starts to boil reduce the heat and simmer for exactly 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off, but do NOT remove the lid or move the saucepan. The rice will finish cooking in it’s own heat and will be absolutely perfect after 10 mins and will stay perfect after that, while you get the curry cooked.
Step 2: Make the sauce base
Melt the butter in the pan over a medium heat. Very finely chop the half onion, pepper, celery stick and garlic. Add to the butter, cover with the lid and leave to sweat in the butter for about 10 mins. You don’t want them to brown, just become nicely soft.
Step 3: Add the veg and season
Meanwhile chop the other onion roughly and slice the sugar snap peas in two lengthwise. Add the onions to the other veg in the pan and cook uncovered for about 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Turn up the head slightly and add the curry powder - whatever amount you like really since everyone has different tastes on this. I suppose I add about a heaped teaspoon of medium-hot curry powder.
Stir this around until the curry powder has soaked up all the butter. Add the peas and stir in well.
Step 4: Make it into a curry!
As soon as you’ve added the peas, add the coconut milk. Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer and then add the prawns. Keep the pan simmering gently for about 5 mins. It’ll be done then, so meanwhile……..
Step 5: Prepare the garnish
Cut the scallions in half lenthwise, then cut those halves in half lengthwise so that you have strips of scallion. Toss in the lime juice and sprinkle with a little chili powder.
Step 6: Serve and Eat!
The good bit!
Although prawns are undoubtedly a luxury, this is cheap enough to be a weekday dinner. This is how the costs pan out:
Lidl Ingredients: Frozen King Prawns €2.99, Onions: 10c, Pepper 25c, Celery: 12c, scallions 30c, Lime 15c, Garlic 10c, Sugar Snap Peas €1.00, Rice 20c.
Other Ingredients: Coconut Milk - I buy this from Dunnes. Can’t recall the name of it, but it’s the chinese branded one, which is both the cheapest and the best one they have. I think it’s about €1.20 per can. So, 60c for this recipe.
Cupboard Ingredients: curry powder, chili powder. Say 20c.
Total cost is almost exactly €6.00, or €3.00 per person. And worth it!