A very flavorful Mangalorean prawn ghee roast is a must try for all prawn lovers and also for all spicy food lovers. The spice blend made from scratch makes the best prawn ghee roast you can have which is way better than takeaway!
If you are looking for a spicy seafood recipe and that’s how you stumbled upon this page, then I am so happy that you are here!
Because I have the most mind-blowing spicy prawn recipe to share today and this recipe is a restaurant classic – Mangalorean prawn ghee roast!
After receiving immense love for my Mangalorean kori gassi recipe, I thought what could be better than to follow it up with another delicious Mangalorean delicacy!
Hence this Mangalorean prawn ghee roast materialized and I can’t be more thankful for this! This is a delight for all shrimp lovers as well as for you all who love spicy food!
What is Mangalorean prawn ghee roast?
Ghee roast is a classic Mangalorean preparation with a blend of aromatic spices that are dry roasted and ground before using in the recipe. You will find all sorts of ghee roast in Mangalorean cuisine – chicken ghee roast, mutton ghee roast and this very delicious prawn ghee roast!
Good amount of whole spices are first dry roasted along with spicy dry red chillies; then they are ground to make a powdered spice mix. This unique spice blend is key to make a good Mangalorean prawn ghee roast.
The reason it is called ghee roast is because the chicken, meat or prawn, whichever you are using, is sautéed in a generous amount of ghee with the spice blend and they get infused with the beautiful flavors of all the warm spices.
You won’t need to add any additional liquid. This is kind of a stir fry recipe made in ghee aka clarified butter with Indian spices.
Ingredients for Mangalorean prawn ghee roast
You will need a few ingredients to marinate the prawns and another handful of ingredients to make the ghee roast spice from scratch.
Jumbo prawns: For this recipe of prawn ghee roast, try to use large prawns; as large as you can get in your local supermarket. The reason being, prawns cook really fast and this recipe is cooked at a somewhat high temperature; so the larger the prawns are, the longer time it will take to cook, allowing the spices to cook through!
Turmeric & Red chilli powder: These staple spices of Indian cooking are used to marinate the prawns and add complementary flavors to the spice blend.
Lime juice: Tangy juice of a lime is used to marinate the prawns; it will not only add tartness but also allow the seasoning to go deep inside the prawns.
Curd/yogurt: Curd is used as the base to marinate the prawns with all other spices and salt.
Ghee: You will need a generous amount of ghee for making this ghee roast recipe. Don’t be shy!
Curry leaves: Sprinkling a handful of fresh curry leaves adds much needed freshness to the dish as well as imparts beautiful flavor!
Salt: Right seasoning is a must for any good recipe!
Whole spices for ghee roast spice blend: A few whole spices are essential to make the flavorful masala i.e. the unique spice mix for your homemade prawn ghee roast.
You will need whole dried Kashmiri red chilli for vibrant red color, whole dried Byadgi red chilli for heat, whole black peppercorn, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and methi/fenugreek seeds.
Quick tip: You can use any dry red chillies that you have handy if you can’t get your hands on these authentic types!
Tamarind pulp: Tamarind is a key ingredient of Mangalorean ghee roast; it adds the right amount of tanginess and balances the warmth and heat from all the warm spices.
Garlic: A few cloves of fresh garlic is a must to complement the flavors of jumbo prawns (I feel no prawn or shrimp recipe is complete without garlic!)
How to make Mangalorean prawn ghee roast?
Here is the step by step recipe for making the restaurant style Mangalorean prawn ghee roast. It is easy to make; just needs some attention to details!
Step 1: First we will season the raw prawns so that the salt penetrates inside. Take the cleaned prawns in a medium bowl and add turmeric powder, red chili powder, curd, lime juice and salt to taste. Give a good mix to coat each prawn with the curd and spices. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Now we will make the ghee roast masala from scratch. Heat a frying pan and add all the dried red chillies. Dry roast the chillies for 1 minute on medium flame. Then add the whole spices – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and black peppercorns.
Step 3: Dry roast all the spices on medium heat until they are nice and fragrant; it would take about 3 to 4 minutes. Then transfer them to a grinder jar (do not use the dry spice grinder as we will add liquid ingredients in the next step) and wait until they cool down completely. Once cooled, grind them to a fine powder.
Step 4: Now add garlic cloves, tamarind pulp and about ¼ cup of water to the same grinder jar and grind everything into a fine paste. Your ghee roast masala is ready! Set it aside until needed.
Step 5: Now it’s time to cook! Heat a kadai or skillet and add a generous amount of ghee to it; let it melt on medium flame. Once the ghee is hot, add the marinated prawns along with all the marinating liquid.
Step 6: Sauté/roast the prawns on medium-high flame while stirring continuously, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 7: Now add the prepared spice paste. Continue cooking the prawns with spice paste for 5 minutes on medium flame stirring frequently. If the spice tends to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash or two of water but not much as then it will become watery.
Step 8: Finally add fresh curry leaves and give it one final mix, sauté for 30 seconds more and switch off the flame. Your delicious Mangalorean prawn ghee roast is ready to serve!
Other delicious prawn/shrimp recipes from FQ
- Jumbo prawns – 500 gms, peeled, deveined and washed
- Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
- Curd/yogurt – ¼ cup
- Juice of half a lime
- Ghee – 4 tbsp
- Curry leaves – 10 to 15
- Salt to taste
- Whole dried Kashmiri red chilli – 4
- Whole dried Byadgi red chilli – 4
- Whole black peppercorn – 4 to 6
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
- Methi/fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
- Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
- Thick tamarind pulp – 1 tbsp
- Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves
- Take the cleaned prawns in a medium bowl and add turmeric powder, red chili powder, curd, lime juice and salt to taste. Give a good mix to coat each prawn with the curd and spices. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat a frying pan and add the dried red chillies. Dry roast the chillies for 1 minute on medium flame. Then add the remaining whole spices listed under spice blend – black peppercorns, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds.
- Dry roast all the spices on medium heat until they are nice and fragrant. Then transfer them to a grinder jar and wait until they cool down completely. Once cooled, grind them to a fine powder.
- Now add garlic cloves, tamarind pulp and about ¼ cup of water to the same grinder jar and grind it into a fine paste. Set it aside until needed.
- Heat a kadai or skillet and add ghee to it, let it melt on medium flame. Once the ghee is hot, add the marinated prawns along with all the marinating liquid.
- Sauté/roast the prawns on medium-high flame while stirring continuously, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the prepared spice paste. Continue cooking the prawns with spice paste for 5 minutes on medium flame stirring frequently.
- If the spice tends to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash or two of water but not much as then it will become watery.
- Finally add fresh curry leaves and give it one final mix, sauté for 30 seconds more and switch off the flame. Your delicious prawn ghee roast is ready to serve! Enjoy!
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