Goong Goong Birthday and Prawn Curry

It was a weekend of indulgence, we are in the throws of the silly season. On Sunday it was Goong Goong's birthday - happy 66, I am sure that is a lucky number in some country, if not ours. We went to Poachers Pantry for lunch on Saturday and had a wonderful meal, platters of smoked meats and seafood, piled with breads, dips and chutneys. Duck spring rolls drizzled with caramelised balsamic (which I had to buy a bottle of), dessert was soft centred hot chocolate pudding with ice cream and topped with hairy fairy floss.

Mum made lunch on Sunday - dad's favourite baked chicken in yogurt, turmeric and spices, our favourite lamb curry and a chocolate birthday cake. I was inspired to make a Bengal Prawn curry.

We also had dinner with the T's Sunday night, lovely BBQ prawn, fish and pork kebabs with an amazing strawberry trifle (although obviously the ubiquitous trifle jokes had to be suffered through before eating it)



Prawn Curry

5cm piece fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 onions
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g freshwater prawns, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 dried chillies crumbled
200ml coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cardamon
Curry leaves, Kaffir Lime leaves
Baby spinach leaves

Blend ginger, garlic and onions with oil into fine paste.
Heat oil and stir fry this mixture for 10 mins until light brown. Mix in turmeric, salt, cumin, chillies, cardamon, sugar, reduce heat to low and cook for another 8 mins. Stir in prawns, cook for 3 mins, add coconut milk and simmer until prawns are just cooked (around 3 more mins). You can add curry, kaffir lime leaves if you like. I also like adding spinach right at end and stir through till just wilted.