As water recedes from canals and beels, prawns of all sizes are turning up with the catch. Shahnaz Setu shares her recipe for dab chingri, a popular dish of prawns cooked in a green coconut.

Ingredients: 10-15 medium-large prawns, 1 green coconut, about 1 cup of its water, half to 1 cup of the soft flesh, 2 tablespoons onion paste, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, half a teaspoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon almond paste, 4-5 green chillies, a quarter teaspoon turmeric, half a teaspoon chilli powder, salt to taste, a little chopped coriander, 2 tablespoons mustard oil and 1 teaspoon ghee.

Shell and clean the prawns, keeping the tails if you like. Rub them with a little salt and turmeric, fry lightly in a little oil and set aside. In the same oil, cook the onion, ginger, garlic and spices well.

Cut a small opening in the coconut and pour out the water, then widen the opening enough to fit the prawns. Warm the coconut on a low flame. In another pan boil the coconut water for 3-4 minutes, add the cooked spices, the prawns and green chillies, and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the soft coconut flesh and cook for no more than 2-3 minutes. Spoon the prawns into the warmed coconut, close it and leave it to steam for a while. Open it, scatter coriander and ghee over, and serve.

The cook's tip: adding the coconut flesh at the very end keeps it tender and brings out its natural sweetness. To save gas, half the cooking is done in a pan rather than all of it inside the coconut.

Photo: Sumon Yusuf, Prothom Alo

Source: Prothom Alo