Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh root ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon grated jaggery or palm sugar or soft light brown sugar
400 ml (14 fl oz) water
1 green mango, stoned and thinly sliced
400 ml (14 fl oz) half-flat coconut milk
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
600 g (1¼ lb) raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
1 small bunch of fresh coriander
salt
Put the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, paprika, turmeric and jaggery or sugar in a large wok. Pour in the measurement water and stir to mix well. Place the wok over a high heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 8–10 minutes.
Add the mango, coconut milk and tamarind paste and stir to combine. Bring the mixture back to the boil, then add the prawns.
Stir reduce the heat and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes. Tear some of the coriander leaves into the curry (reserve the rest to use as a garnish) and cook for another 2 minutes until the prawns have turned pink and are just cooked through. Season with a little salt and serve immediately with steamed basmati rice, garnished with the reserved sprigs of coriander.
For chicken & sweet potato curry, simmer the spices in the measurement water as above. Omit the mango and prawns and add 1 small peeled and diced sweet potato and 500 g (1 lb) diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the coconut milk and 1 tablespoon tamarind paste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the coriander and serve as above.