Mug Chingri....A perfect start to New Year!!!

Hey!!!! Happy New Year to all and sundry!!!!!
We had a quiet New year.... we had had a long day on New Year's eve
and so we stayed at home and cooked and ate and made merry.... and caught up on all those movies...
I had bought a bag of shrimps(kucho chingri) which were too small to be put in a gravy.... so I decided to cook 'Mug Chingri 'or prawns in Mung Dal..... its a yummy simple dish which i had in Belgium last year at a friend's place.
It was absolutely delicious and so I decided to give US a special treat this New Year!!! So here it is:

Ingradients:

Shrimps-1 small cup
Mung Dal-1cup
cauliflower florets-half of a medium cauliflower cut into small florets
frozen peas-a handful
Onion-1 medium made into a paste
tomato-1 large diced
ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
whole cumin-1 tbsp
cloves-2-3
green cardamom-1-2
garam masala powder-1/2tsp
turmeric-1/2tsp
lime juice-3-4tbsp
oil- 6 tbsp
sugar
salt

Marinate the shrimps in lime juice for 20-30 minutes.
Boil the lentils with a pinch of turmeric and set it aside. Do not overboil the lentils and do not put excess water.
Boil the cauliflower florets(in boiling water for 4-5 minutes) but do not let them soften. Drain the water and set them aside.
Heat oil and fry the shrimps till they are golden on all sides. Set them aside and soak the excess oil in kitchen towel.
In the remaining oil sizzle the cumin seeds , cloves and green cardamom.
Next add the onion and the ginger garlic paste.Put the flame on medium low and cook until the raw smell goes.Next add the tomatoes and turmericand cook until oil starts separating.
Add the boiled caulilflower florets and the peas.
Cook until the florets and peas are coated with the spices and let the mix cook in medium low flame.
Next add the shrimps and the lentils. Mix properly.
Add water according to the consistency you want.
Add salt and sugar according to taste.
Let the lentils come to rolling boil .
Sprinkle garam masala powder.
Serve with hot rice and have a great lunch!!

Prawns and an eternal recipe...

Half the people at my place are allergic to prawns... that includes both my father and father- in- law...but prawns being the sinful treats they are... I love to cook them as often I can....
Both in Germany and USA we have had fresh stocks at home and I try and make innovative twists and turns( I don't actually know how innovative they are.)....the Bengali favorite "chingri maacher malaikari " is a favorite with us too..... but this post is not about that....

I cooked this first around 1 year back.... back then my cooking skills were pathetically restricted... but I was one brave little soul.....C was quite enthusiastic..( no other options for him..:))....

This is a short cut way to prepare a pulav....I prepare the rice first and then mix everything slowly....

Ingradients:
Rice: long grained white rice cooked and cooled(take care not to overcook it)
tiger prawn or large prawns:200 gms cleaned deveined
Marinate the prawns with lime juice, salt and turmeric.
Frozen peas: 1 cup
Onion: one large sliced in rings and one small crushed
ginger garlic paste:
tomato:2 medium sized pureed or sliced thinly
green chillies: 2-3 slit
whole garam masala:cloves, cardamom and cinammon ground coursely
bay leaves
turmeric
whole cumin seeds
coriander and cumin powder
yogurt

salt
sugar
cooking oil
One hard boiled egg to garnish


Marinate the prawns and keep it aside for 2-3 hours.
Next shallow fry them in a nonstick pan till they are pink on all sides.
Set them aside and soak the extra oil in a paper towel.
Next heat oil in a wok and put in half of the dry masalas except the coriander cumin powder.
Put in the onion paste followed by the tomatoes and turmeric.Put the gas on low medium and fry until oil starts coming out.
Next put in the yogurt and sugar according to taste.
Stir well and let the gravy form.
When the yogurt sauce boils put the prawns in it and season with salt and cumin coriander powder.
When you get the right consistancy take out the prawn mixture and put it aside.
Next in a large pan(which can hold all the rice) heat oil and put in rest of the dry masalas.
Fry lightly and put in the onion rings and chillies. Saute until the onion is light brown in color. Then put in the peas and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes.
Next put in the rice in batches and mix well with onion mixture.
Switch off the gas and at last add the prawn mixure and lighly fold into the rice . Take care not to break the rice. Season with salt according to taste.

Garnish with halves of boiled egg and serve piping hot!!