Put the prawns in a bowl and toss with the chopped curry leaves, 1tsp of the chilli powder and a dash of lime juice. Set aside to marinate. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the rice flour and cornflour, a pinch of salt, the remaining chilli powder, the ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Add just enough water to form a thick batter.
Pour enough oil for deep-frying into a deep-fat fryer or deep pan (to no more than half full) and heat to 170C. Coat the prawns in the batter, ensuring they are well covered. Deep-fry, in batches if necessary, for around 4 minutes until golden, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the ghati masala, fresh coconut and chopped coriander over and serve hot with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.
For the Ghata Masala:
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat, add the garlic and roast for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.
In the same pan, dry-roast the coconut and sesame seeds over a low heat for around 30 seconds until the sesame seeds start to pop, then transfer to the same plate as the garlic and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the cooled garlic, coconut and sesame seeds to a spice grinder or food processor along with the other ingredients and salt, to taste, and grind to a medium-coarse consistency. It should be slighter wetter than a powder but not quite a paste. Taste for salt and add more if required.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.
Recipes and photographs taken from Yatra by Rohit Ghai, food photography by Gareth Morgans, (Nourish, £30)
