Eral Varuval / Prawn Fry, a simple south Indian homestyle prawn fry! Perfect as an appetizer or side for any meal!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, south indian, tamil nadu
Keyword: eral varuval, prawn fry, prawns, shrimp, side dish for rice
Servings: 4
Author: Mullai Madavan
Equipment
Stir Fry Pan / Kadai / Wok
Ingredients
Saute
15largePrawn / Shrimp or 40 tiny prawns
1.5 cupsOnionchopped
1/2cupTomatoesripe and juicy, chopped
1tablespoonGinger Garlic paste
3eachGreen Chilislit open
1/4teaspoonTurmeric powder
1teaspoonRed chili powder
1tablespoonCoriander powder
1/2teaspoonBlack pepper powderfreshly ground
1.5teaspoonSaltor to taste
1/4cupCoriander leaves
5eachCurry leaves
1tspOil for stir frying
Temper
3tablespoonOil
1/2teaspoonMustard seeds
1teaspoonFennel seeds
1teaspoonCumin seeds
5Curry leaves
Instructions
How to Clean & Devein Prawn / Shrimp
Start by defrosting the shrimp if using frozen. Place them in a bowl filled with cold water. You may skip if you have shelled, deveined shrimp / prawns.If using fresh head on shrimp or prawns – twist the head and gently pull it off and discard!
Then pull off the legs, that should loosen the shell to slip off. Break open the shell along the underside and peel it completely including the tail portion. The tail part is often left on for cooking for more strong flavor. The rest of the shrimp should pull cleanly out of the tail.
There are two veins that run, one on top and the other on the bottom. The one that runs on the top or back is the intestinal / digestive tract of the shrimp. Just run a sharp knife and remove the dark gritty string like vein.
The clear vein on the bottom is not that unpleasant and can stay as its the blood vessel of the shrimp which is colorless. Run a knife and pull it off if you prefer to keep it appetizing.
Wash the prawns in cold water to remove any dirt or grit.
Marinate with little turmeric powder and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan, preferably a stainless steel pan or iron pan.
Temper with mustard, cumin, fennel seeds and few curry leaves.
Add the chopped onion and green chilies. Fry until soft, which takes about 5 minutes over medium flame.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes.
Once done, add chopped tomato and cook until mushy. Cover and cook for few minutes to speed up the process.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and salt.
Keep sautéing for few minutes stirring constantly. The mixture will turn slightly dry and chunky in about 6 to 7 minutes. Absolutely no water!! If you prefer a chunky masala texture, then add prawns at this stage. For a more dry texture or varuval, continue to fry.
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes or until it attains a dry texture.
Add cleaned shrimp at this stage, cook for 3 minutes over medium high flame. Prawn or shrimp takes very less time to cook, 3 to 4 minutes maximum.
Add a teaspoon of oil and some curry leaves at this stage to avoid scorching at the bottom and to crisp up the masala.
Garnish with coriander leaves, fry for few seconds and turn off the heat.
Serve it as a side for any meal . Perfect with sambar or rasam sadham!
Video
Notes
Using small onion instead of big will taste better. Use about 15 to 20 sambar onions / shallots.
Adding freshly crushed ginger and garlic instead of ground ginger garlic paste will highlight a better taste & texture in every bite.
For Jumbo / Large variety shrimps - use 1o to 15
For Small variety prawns - use 40 to 50
Always use shell on raw prawns as they taste better than cooked shrimp.