Daab Chingri

Chingri? Or Ilish? Another topic for Ghoti-Bangal fight. Nevertheless, if you are a true Bengali, you must love both. Chingri Machher Malaikari (Prawn cooked in Coconut Milk gravy) is the most popular recipe. Daab-chingri is a much more intricate version where we need to cook the prawn inside the daab or the tender coconut shell. You may find the process a little rigorous, but when you taste the output, all your pain will be vanished…. You will feel like tasting the Ambrosia… recreated in your kitchen !!!!

Preparation Time : 30 mins, Cooking Time: 30 mins, Serving: 4

Ingredients:

1.     Daab (tender Coconut) – 1 medium

2.     Prawn (de-shelled)  – 8 pcs

3.     Onion (grated)        – 1 large

4.     Garlic (grated)- 4-6 cloves

5.     Ginger Paste – 1 Tbsp

6.     Mustard seed- 3 Tbsp

7.     Poppy seed – 3Tbsp

8.     Green Chilli (slitted) - 4

9.     Panch foron – 1 tsp

10. Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp

11. Salt - to taste

12. Sugar – 1 pinch

13. Mustard Oil – 2 ½ Tbsp

14. Flour – ½ cup

Method:

1. First, take the tender coconut and carefully make hole of around 2 inch diameter on the top of it.  Keep the piece you cut for sealing the Daab again. Cut the bottom portion of the Daab as well so that it can sit properly.

2.    Drain out the coconut water in a bowl and keep aside. We are going to use this water and this water only in our recipe.

3.   Scoop out the kernel from the Daab using a spoon and keep aside.

4.    Make a paste of coconut kernel, mustard seed and poppy seed alongwith the coconut water.

5.    Heat oil in a pan. Add panch foron. After a while, add grated garlic. Sauté till the raw aroma of the garlic is vanished.

6.     Add grated onion and fry till golden brown.

7.  Add Ginger paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. If required at this stage, add a little amount of coconut water to save your masala from burning.

8. When done, mix this masala with the mustard-poppy seed paste.

9.  Add turmeric powder, salt, mustard oil, green chilli and mix well.

10. Add more coconut water into it to make a smooth paste.

11. Add the prawns into this mix and mix well for the final time.

12. Put the prawns alongwith the masala mix inside the Daab.  (see pic below).

13. Cover it with the piece you cut to make the hole. Make a dough with flour. And seal the Daab properly. (see pic below).

14. Take a dip pan. Put the daab inside it. Pour water into the pan so that half of the daab got emerged into water. Put the pan on Gas oven. Cover it and let it boil on a medium flame for 20-25 minutes.

15. Turn off the heat. Let it cool for a while. Take the daab out of  the pan. Open the seal. This time you will find your mouth  filled with saliva because of the heavenly smell coming out.  Keep Control of it !!!

Serve hot with steamed rice….