Bengali cuisine
Chingri Malai Curry
Bengal's most celebrated prawn dish — large prawns simmered in a rich coconut milk gravy with whole spices and a mustard oil base. The name "malai" refers to the cream-like coconut milk, not dairy. A Sunday lunch staple in every Bengali household.
Why cold press mustard oil?
Chingri malai curry is traditionally started in mustard oil. The oil's pungency is tempered by the coconut milk but leaves a distinctive depth that no neutral oil can replicate. Cold-press mustard oil gives the gravy its characteristic Bengali flavour.
Ingredients
- 500g large prawns (chingri), cleaned and deveined
- 400ml coconut milk
- 3 tbsp Dune Aura Cold-Press Mustard Oil
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- Salt to taste
Step-by-step method
- 1
Marinate prawns with ½ tsp turmeric and salt for 10 minutes.
- 2
Heat mustard oil until smoking. Fry prawns 1 minute per side until pink. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same oil, add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Fry 30 seconds.
- 4
Add sliced onion. Fry on medium heat until golden, about 8 minutes.
- 5
Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook 2 minutes until raw smell disappears.
- 6
Add remaining turmeric, chilli powder and sugar. Stir 1 minute.
- 7
Pour in coconut milk. Add green chillies. Simmer 5 minutes on low heat.
- 8
Add fried prawns. Simmer 3–4 minutes until prawns are cooked through.
- 9
Adjust salt. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Pro tip
Do not overcook the prawns — they turn rubbery. Add them at the end and simmer just until they curl and turn opaque.
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