This is a basic recipe in the style of how my Mum used to cook curries. The heads and shells are left on, coming from an Indian background we always love to suck the prawn shells and juices before peeling and eating, we also like to eat with our hands even though it is really messy. It can also stop the prawns from shrinking, however if you prefer you can peel these before cooking.

• 300g large raw prawns
• 1 tbsp oil, I used sunflower
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, grated
• 2″ chunk of ginger, grated and chopped
• 2 red birds eye chillies, chopped
• 10 cardamon pods, seeds only
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• lemon zest for decoration

• I blended up a quick paste as I can’t eat whole seeds, this is not necessary you can just throw in the spices whole, my method is to blend the cardamon, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, turmeric, tamarind and tomato puree with a little oil or water into a paste.
• Heat the oil and fry the onions until soft, add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for 1 minute before adding the paste. If you are not making a paste, add the mustard seeds first let them cook for 30 seconds before adding the rest of the spices.
• Cook for around 3 minutes then add the tin of tomatoes. Fill the tin with water and pour in.
• Add the lemon juice, half of the chopped coriander and season well with salt and pepper. Let this cook for a few minutes more.
• Add the prawns. Cook for around 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the prawns.
• Serve with a sprinkle of the remaining coriander and the lemon zest.
• Serve with rice and breads.

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