On a hot day, a sweet-and-sour dish on the table makes a meal far more enjoyable, and when it comes with the soft, juicy texture of prawns, all the better. Mango-kasundi prawns are just such a combination.

The sourness of green mango, the pungency of kasundi and the taste of prawns make a remarkable dish. It can be made easily at home with simple ingredients and will impress at anything from entertaining guests to a family feast. Here is the recipe.

Using a half-ripe, sweetish green mango keeps the dish less sour, but other mangoes can be used too; if the mango is very sour, use a little less. First peel the mango, cut it into pieces and blend it to a fine paste, or grind it on a shil-pata.

Next blend mustard seeds, poppy seeds, green chillies, turmeric and salt together into a smooth paste. Meanwhile heat enough mustard oil in a karai, lightly fry the prawns rubbed with salt and turmeric, and set them aside. In the same karai pour in the mango paste and stir it over a low flame for a while, then add the mustard-poppy paste. Add sugar to taste and cook a little longer.

Finally add kasundi, slit green chillies and a spoonful of raw mustard oil, cook on a low flame for a few minutes and take it off the heat. The dish is best with hot rice, but it also goes very well with basanti polao.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.