Murungai-Eeral (Drumstick & Prawn) Curry- A Family Recipe
Image Credit: Vrushalipraveen/Wikimedia Commons

Being surrounded by some of the best cooks at home, I was always curious to see the inner workings of how meals were prepared. I remember tugging the pallu of my grandmother’s sari as she rapidly chopped onions, tempered curry leaves and ground coconut to make the most delicious curries. At any given time of day, there would always be a steaming cauldron of something delicious bubbling away, the aroma of which wafted throughout the house.

The murungai-eeral kuzhambu, a prawn curry with drumsticks was a dish reserved for special occasions. If we were expecting guests or had relatives over for dinner, you best believe a batch of fresh prawns found their way to the house and were cleaned with love to be popped into this robust-flavoured coconut-based curry.

Recipe:

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Ingredients [For the curry paste]:

  • 7-8 sambar onions
  • ¼ cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1 inch stick cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 4-5 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 small tomato

Ingredients [For the curry]:

  • 350 grams fresh prawns, cleaned and deveined
  • 2 medium-sized drumsticks
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • Handful of curry leaves
  • 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
  • 2 small tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
  • Salt to taste

 

Method:

  • Dice the drumsticks into two-inch pieces and boil them in salted water for 10-12 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add all the ingredients for the curry paste into a blender along with a tablespoon or two of water and grind into a fine paste. Set both elements aside.
  • Add the cleaned prawns to a bowl and marinate with salt, turmeric and chilli powder for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the fennel and mustard seeds, and wait for them to splutter. Add the curry leaves. Once they begin to crackle, throw in the chopped onions and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute until the aromas are released and add in the chopped tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt at this stage and cook until the tomatoes soften and begin to turn mushy in texture. Add the coriander powder, turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.
  • Add the reserved paste to the mixture in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the fat begins to separate and the colour of the flavour base begins to darken a little bit. Add the partially-cooked drumsticks into the simmering gravy and mix well. Allow the flavours to meld for a couple of minutes.
  • Add about a quarter cup of water to thin the mixture and season the gravy. If you’re making the curry in advance and expecting to wait for some time before it is eaten, check to see if the drumstick has cooked through and turn off the heat at this point. When ready to serve, add the marinated prawns to the curry and cook until the prawns are tender, but not chewy. Check for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Serve with idlis, dosas, rice or parotta.