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Ceylon tea prawns with mulligatawny soup
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 12 raw prawns, shelled, deveined, shells reserved to make the stock
- 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- vegetable oil, for brushing
For the stock
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small green chilli
- 1 red bird’s eye chilli
- 2cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- ¼tsp fenugreek seeds, toasted pinch saffron threads
For the mulligatawny soup
- 60ml vegetable oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves, leaves picked
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 long red chilli
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp red chilli powder
- ½tsp ground cumin, toasted
- ½tsp fennel seeds, toasted, ground
- ½tsp ground turmeric
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 aubergine, finely diced
- 1 tomato, finely diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- juice 1 lime
For the dipping sauce
- 2tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 dried red chilli, crushed
- ¼ cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1tsp Ceylon tea leaves
Method
To make the stock, place the reserved prawn shells, the curry leaves, garlic, chillies, ginger, onion and 2 litres water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
To make the mulligatawny soup, heat 2tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add half of the curry leaves, garlic, onion, chillies and spices and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently and making sure the spices don’t burn. Add the curry leaf mixture to the stock, increase the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for a maximum of 20 minutes.
In the same pan that you used to fry the spices, heat the remaining oil over medium heat, add the carrot, aubergine, tomato and onion and gently cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining curry leaves and stir to combine. Strain the stock into the vegetable mixture, bring to the boil, then season with salt and pepper and add the lime juice. Remove from the heat and keep warm until serving.
To make the dipping sauce, place the mayonnaise, garlic, dried chilli and parsley in a bowl and stir to combine. Place the tea in a small frying pan over high heat and lightly toast, being careful not to burn it. Remove from the heat and add a small amount to the mayonnaise mixture. Reserve the rest for garnishing.
Place each prawn on its back and lightly score the belly two or three times so that it lies flat. Remove the small spike between the two tail fins. Thread each prawn onto a skewer, starting at the head and through the tail.
Preheat a barbecue hotplate to high and lightly brush with oil. Cook the prawns until just translucent. Coat each prawn in the dipping sauce, scatter with the remaining toasted tea leaves and serve with a bowl of soup and some of the strained vegetables if desired.
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