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Prawn Roast Kerala Style Recipe | Spicy Prawn Roast | Chemmeen Roast
Prawn Roast Kerala Style recipe: Spicy prawn roast or chemmeen roast is a signature seafood dish from God’s Own Country, with a perfect blend of spices and packed with delicious flavour and an enticing aroma. It’s a must-have dish for prawn lovers, with an unforgettable “wow” factor.
Traditionally, seafood dishes in Kerala are cooked in earthen or mud vessels (man chatti or kal chatti) which enhances the taste. But a non-stick pan or kadhai or wok also serves the purpose for this easy prawn roast recipe.
Our fail-proof recipe shows you how to cook this traditional and much-loved prawn roast dish in easy-to-follow steps.
In our spicy Kerala style prawn roast recipe, prawns are “roasted” in spices before being finished with a drizzling of coconut oil, which imparts a characteristic flavour. The masterful blend of spices—the true stars of the dish—making for a delectable and irresistible seafood preparation that is at once tangy and spicy. Pungent black pepper and fragrant curry leaves balance the sourness of tamarind paste.
For an authentic taste, make sure to use good quality coconut oil, an important traditional ingredient that enhances taste and flavour. Also, adjust the level of hotness according to your taste. For a milder dish, substitute red chilli powder with Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika, and omit or reduce the number of green chillies.
To avoid ending up with chewy and tough prawns, do not overcook them. We think 4 to 5 minutes is enough to cook prawns to perfection though traditionally they are cooked for much longer in Kerala, where they like a bite to their prawns.
For best chemmeen roast results, allow for a resting time of one hour after cooking. The dish tastes even better the next day because the flavours have had time to mellow and blend..
The basic curry in this Kerala style prawn roast recipe can also be used for other seafood. It goes well with any firm fish like king fish, salmon, and pomfret.
Prawn roast Kerala style or chemmeen roast is excellent with Kerala brown rice, white rice, appam, kappa, Kerala parotta, naan, or chapathi. Dal, Alleppey fish curry, and Kerala-style ginger pickle are good accompaniments.It can be served as a main course at a lunch or dinner party.
It can be served as a main course at a lunch or dinner party.
Learn how to make our traditional & delicious Prawn Roast Kerala Style recipe (spicy Kerala prawns) with an easy cooking method and all ingredients right here from Yummefy Recipes.
You will also enjoy our other coastal recipes like:
Or check out all our delicious Prawn Recipes here.
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RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
5 green chillies, fresh, each sliced lengthwise in half, deseeded
8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 piece ginger, 2-inches in length, peeled and finely chopped
15 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 tablespoon red chilli powder, or more as per your taste
30 curry leaves
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
2 large pinches roasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon meat masala powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
550 grams prawns, medium size, shelled, cleaned and deveined
2 1⁄2 tablespoons coconut oil, or more as required
COOKING METHOD
- Place a kadhai or clay pot on high heat. Toss in green chillies, garlic, ginger, and shallots, then add black pepper powder, red chilli powder, curry leaves, turmeric powder, roasted cumin seeds, meat masala powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, and salt. Stir well to mix.
- Pour in 125 ml water (about ¾ cup), stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Slide prawns into the kadhai and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle 1 tablespoon coconut oil onto the prawns and stir for 1 minute. Follow by drizzling another tablespoon of oil and sauté prawns for another minute. Drizzle on the remaining coconut oil, continue to sauté till the prawns are cooked through, about 1 more minute.
- Remove from heat and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature to allow the flavours to blend together. Reheat and serve with boiled rice, kappa, or chapati.
Cook’s Note: Traditionally, the prawns in this Kerala recipe are cooked for at least 15 to 20 minutes, however we feel that tends to make them a bit chewy. While some people might prefer prawns with a bite, we prefer cooking the prawns for just 5 to 6 minutes till they are fully cooked but still soft and meltingly tender.
Recipe Credits: Adapted from a recipe sent by Avies Medona from KeralaServes: 4
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes plus 1 hour resting time
- Place a kadhai or clay pot on high heat. Toss in green chillies, garlic, ginger, and shallots, then add black pepper powder, red chilli powder, curry leaves, turmeric powder, roasted cumin seeds, meat masala powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, and salt. Stir well to mix.
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