Spiced Prawns
Jhinga bhaja are Indian-inspired prawns, briefly marinated in tamarind, turmeric, and ginger, then dipped in a thin egg batter and fried until crisp in oil. The acidity from the tamarind and soy sauce penetrates the prawns in half an hour, so they taste of more than just the crisp coating outside.
The dish uses cooked prawns, not raw, so the frying is about giving the batter colour rather than cooking the prawns through. It goes quickly — a couple of minutes per batch in hot oil. Serve them while they still crunch.
Works well as a starter for an Indian meal or as a light main course with boiled rice, chutney, and a fresh salad alongside.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 500 g cooked prawns
- 2 tbsp tamarind water (or lemon juice)
- turmeric, a pinch
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 shallots (or ½ onion), sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 100 ml oil, for frying
Batter
- 75 g rice flour (or plain flour)
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 small egg, beaten
- salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
Directions
Marinade
Peel the prawns: remove the head and shell, but leave the tail tip on so there is something to hold. Run a small knife down the back and remove the dark vein.
Place the prawns in a bowl with the tamarind water, turmeric, grated ginger, shallots, garlic, and soy sauce. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Batter
Put the rice flour in a bowl. Add the water a little at a time, whisking to prevent lumps from forming.
Season with a pinch of salt and a little freshly ground pepper and whisk in the egg. The batter should be smooth and coat a spoon without running straight off — thin it with a little more water if it is too thick.
Frying
Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Shake the wet marinade off the prawns and coat them in the batter on all sides.
Fry in batches — do not overcrowd the pan, or the temperature will drop and the batter will turn soft. Turn them after a couple of minutes so they are crisp and golden on both sides.
Lift them onto kitchen paper to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately while they still crunch.
Notes
The prawns are already cooked, so you only need the heat for the batter. If they stay in the pan too long, they will turn rubbery.
If tamarind water is hard to find, make it from tamarind paste and warm water (1 tbsp paste to 3 tbsp water, leave for 10 minutes, then strain). Lemon juice works as a shortcut, but the flavour is sharper and less deep.
Serve with boiled white rice, a green chutney or mango chutney, and a bowl of yoghurt with grated cucumber to cool things down.
Active time 15 minutes plus 30 minutes marinating. Frying time about 10 minutes.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Green Chutney
