Daab Chingri – Prawns cooked in tender coconut shell

Daab Chingri – Prawns cooked in tender coconut shell

Daab Chingri is a unique and delectable recipe of Bengali cuisine. ‘Daab’ aka tender coconut and prawns are the main ingredients. Jumbo or King prawns are cooked in tender coconut along with the tender meat of the coconut.

This recipe is not a very commonly prepared one, though it is popular in the urban kitchens and restaurants. According to Wikipedia, it is made during festivities, especially during the Bengali New Year or ‘Pohela Boisakh’ but I hadn’t heard or read about it anywhere until I saw it in the menu of an urban restaurant. I first tried this recipe in a down town restaurant during my stay in Kolkata. The delicate and melt in mouth taste filled me with a sense of awe.

I tried recreating it at home and after trying for a few times, I finally got to the closest taste of my liking. It is a mildly spiced recipe and is a great accompaniment with steamed rice or any bread of your choice.

How to Make

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

1 Large tender coconut

15-16 Jumbo or King prawns

3 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3 tsp poppy seeds

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2-3 green chillies, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup tender coconut meat

2tbsp mustard oil

1tbsp butter or ghee

1/2tsp panch phoran (mustard, cumin, fenugreek, fennel and onion seeds)

½ cup coconut water

1tbsp fresh cream (optional)

½ tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Small ball of atta or maida dough for sealing.

Method:

Step 1: Preparation and dressing the tender coconut.

·    Cut the top part of the coconut and make the opening of the coconut slightly big so that it is easy while stuffing. Do not discard the top part as it will be required later for sealing the coconut and plating.

·   Empty the coconut water in separate bowl and save it for later use. Scrape out the tender meat and keep aside in a bowl.

Step 2: Blending of other ingredients

·    Soak the mustard, cumin and poppy seeds in 2 tbsp of coconut water for minimum 30 min. so that it gets easily blended. Keep aside the remaining coconut water for the gravy. After 30 min. transfer the contents in a blender jar and make a fine paste.

·        Blend the coconut meat separately into a fine paste and keep aside.

Step 3: Preparation of prawn stuffing

·   Heat a pan or skillet and add mustard oil. After the oil is heated, add the cleaned and washed prawns to the pan. Add a ¼ tsp turmeric powder and little salt and sauté for a 1 min. Remove the prawns from the pan and keep aside.

·    To the same pan, add butter or ghee. Add the panch phoran and allow it to crackle. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining turmeric powder and salt to taste. Next add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the chopped green chillies, mustard, cumin and poppy paste and sauté it for another minute. Lastly add the coconut meat paste, fresh cream and the prawns and mix well. Adjust the consistency with the remaining coconut water. Turn off the heat.

Step 4: Stuffing and finishing

·    Take the coconut shell and with the help of a spoon, stuff the prepared prawn stuffing gently into the coconut. Tap it a few times. Seal the opening with the flattened dough and cover with the top part of coconut.

·    Place the coconut with the stuffing in a microwave oven and microwave on full power for 5 minutes. Let it stand inside the oven for a minute before removing.

Step 5: Serving and garnishing

·   Move the coconut from the oven and serve the shell directly on a plate. Remove the contents in a bowl and relish with steamed rice or roti or any bread of your choice.

Tips:

• If the contents of the stuffing is more than the size of the coconut shell, then either use two coconuts or divide the stuffing into two portions and microwave two times separately.   
• Instead of fresh cream, cashew or melon seed paste can be used to make the gravy creamy.   

  

Do try this recipe and give your suggestions and feedback in the comment section below.