Shorshe Chingri Bhapa (Steamed Prawn in Mustard sauce)

Shorshe Chingri Bhapa (Steamed Prawn in Mustard sauce) -

This prawn preparation again comes from the kitchen of Bengal. Based on your taste, you can alter the amount of green chilies. Best served with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

Prawns ~ 12-14 large sized ones. I used fresh ones, you can use frozen too

For the Paste:

Mutard Seeds ~ 3 tbsp

Posto or Poppy Seeds ~ 3 tsp

Green Chilli ~ 3

Salt ~ a pinch

Soak in warm water for 30 minutes and then grind to a paste

The Mustard-Poppy Seeds Paste ~ use almost 3/4th of the paste, makes little less than 1/2 cup. If the paste is too pungent for you, you can sieve the paste and use the more liquid mustardy water mixed with a little of the thick paste.

Narkel or Grated Coconut ~ 1/2 cup fresh or frozen. You can use more if you want

Yogurt ~ 1/4 cup thick beaten yogurt. Use 1/2 cup of yogurt for more gravy-ish dish.

Sugar -- 1/4 tsp for a light sweet edge

Turmeric Powder -- 1/2 tsp

Sorsher tel or Mustard oil ~ 2 tbsp

Green Chilies ~ 8-10

Salt -- to taste

Method:

Wash and shell the prawn and devein them.

Mix the prawns with salt and turmeric and keep aside for half an hour

Make a smooth paste with mustard seeds, poppy seeds, 3 green chillies, a little salt and water.

In a container which you can steam or which you can put in the pressure cooker, mix the prawns with mustard paste, yogurt and salt according to taste. I also add just a pinch of sugar.

Slit 4/5 green chillies and add to above

Add 2tbsp of Mustard Oil to this, drizzle liberally on top that is

Add some fresh grated coconut to this. If using frozen grated coconut defrost and then use.

Now put water in the pressure cooker bottom and put in this container.

I have a Futura Pressure Cooker and I steamed for 1 minute. In this pressure cooker, after the full pressure is built the time has to measured (no whistles), so I kept for 1 minute after the build up of full steam. In a whistling pressure cooker, you have to allow one whistle I guess

Take it out and serve with hot white rice. For an extra kick drizzle little mustard oil before serving

Note on making Mustard Paste: When I didn’t have a wet grinder to make my mustard paste I used to dry grind the seeds in my coffee grinder and then mix the dry powder with a little vinegar, salt, and green chillies and keep for an hour or so. The wet grinder serves the purpose much better and makes a nice smooth paste with green chillies, and salt.