Tamarind prawns with lime rice

Ingredients

For the prawns

• 1 bunch spring onions
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 50g ginger, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, seeds removed, shredded
• 750g raw prawns, shelled
• 2 tsp tamarind concentrate
• 1 tsp toasted ground cumin
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 50g jaggery or 2-3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped

For the lime rice

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp raw peanuts, skinned
• 3 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Rind of 1 large lime, grated
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 250g basmati rice, boiled and cooled

Method

Cut the white part of the spring onions into 3cm lengths, and thinly slice the rest.

Heat the oil in a wok set over a high heat and fry the spring onions and chopped ginger for 1 min. Add half the shredded red chillies with the prawns and continue cooking for another minute.

When the prawns begin to change colour, stir in the tamarind concentrate along with 3-4 tbsp water. Add the ground cumin, garam masala and jaggery (or sugar), and cook for a further 1-2 mins until you have a thick-ish sauce. Stir in the chopped coriander and scatter the remaining red chillies.

For the lime rice: heat the oil in a large pan or wok and fry the peanuts until golden. Add the mustard seeds and continue frying for about 30 secs, stirring all the time. Turn the heat down low and stir in the turmeric, lime zest and juice.

Spoon the rice into the wok, heat through until piping hot and serve straight away with the prawns.

ALTERNATIVE: if you fancy a special occasion treat, try this recipe with 10-12 shell-on prawns. They need a minute longer to cook than the shelled ones.

Image: Regula Ysewijn