Guest chef Christine Manfield’s Goan favourite

There are many versions of ambot tik, a traditional prawn curry from Goa in India. Here’s how I make it.

Yum: Goan prawn curry

It seems every Goan cook has their own version of ambot tik, a traditional prawn curry. I’ve tried variations from keen home cooks and restaurant chefs alike, but despite their differences they all have a high ratio of sauce to prawns. Here, the richness of the coconut milk is cut with the sourness of tamarind and green mango. Green chilli dosa, similar to crepes, are easy to make and can be served with all manner of things, such as curry, dal or braised vegetables.

Christine Manfield

Goan prawn curry

2 tablespoons organic extra-virgin coconut oil

1 white onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

2 teaspoons tomato paste

16 large raw tiger prawn tails, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

2 tablespoons tamarind puree

1 small green mango, peeled and julienned

3 small green chillies, finely sliced

2 tablespoons fried curry leaves

Coconut masala

3 dried Kashmiri chillies, broken into pieces

5 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

²/³ cup grated fresh coconut

2 cups (500ml) coconut milk

To make the coconut masala, blend all the ingredients together in food processor until smooth. Set aside. Heat the coconut oil in wide-based frying pan or kadhai over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to colour. Add ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato, tomato paste and ½ cup (125ml) water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato begins to break down. Reduce heat to low, stir through coconut masala and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add prawns and salt and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tamarind, green mango and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes or until prawns are just cooked. Top with fried curry leaves and serve with rice. Serves 4

Green chilli dosa

1 cup (160g) wholemeal flour

50g rice flour

15g minced fresh ginger

1 long green chilli, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

1½ teaspoons ghee

Sift both flours into a bowl and add ginger, chilli, cumin and salt. Whisk in 450ml water to form a batter the same consistency as a pancake batter. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 1 hour. Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it has melted, swirl in 2 tablespoons of the dosa batter, enough to coat the base of the pan, and cook for 3 minutes or until crisp. Flip the dosa over with a spatula and cook on the other side for a further 1 minute. Transfer to a plate, cover with cloth to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter and ghee. Serve immediately. Makes 6

Indian Cooking Class

From Christine Manfield’s Indian Cooking Class (Simon & Schuster Australia, $59.99). Photography: Alan Benson