Chingri macher malai curry | Chingri malai curry | Prawn malai curry recipe

Chingri macher malai curry aka chingri malaikari is an exemplary fish curry recipe which is crazily popular among Bengalis. It is renowned for its inimitable taste, texture and flavour. In this preparation, large tiger prawns (bagda chingri or golda chingri) are cooked in coconut milk with onion, tomato and a few fragrant Bengali spices. This luscious Bengali fish curry frequently appears on special occasions like marriage reception party (biye bari), annaprashan etc. Other than that, prawn malai curry recipe has occupied top places in reputed Bengali restaurants’ menu cards all over the world. It is mostly relished with steamed basmati rice but you can also pair up it with Bengali mishti pulao.

Bengali cuisine is famous for its myriad extraordinary recipes because of their unbeatable taste, texture, flavour and unique ideology of cooking. But Bengali fish curries and Bengali desserts have occupied a special place in everyone’s heart. Bengali cuisine is incomplete without mentioning the treasured recipe – Chingri malai curry. Though it originated outside Bengal, still it has become an integral part of this cuisine.

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Prawn Malai Curry (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Chingri malai curry is a classic prawn curry prepared with giant prawns and coconut milk.

According to a few people, chingri malai curry is an east Indian recipe where chingri stands for ‘prawn aka shrimp’ and ‘malai curry’ means ‘creamy curry’.

According to a few people, the word malai comes from the word ‘Malay’. The word Malay comes from Malay people and means people from Malaysia. This prawn curry flavoured with coconut milk originated in Malaysia. Malaysian traders came to east India for business purposes and due to cultural exchange the recipe got modified in Bengali kitchen as ‘chingri macher malai curry’ which pronounced as ‘chingri malaikari’.

• The primary reason behind its popularity is its unbeatable taste, texture and flavour.
• Chingri macher malai curry is easy to make and gets prepared without much hustle.
• It gets prepared very quickly.
• It is a very comforting dish prepared using minimal spices.
• It is a kid’s friendly recipe.
• It is a versatile dish which you can have with rice items and even with flatbreads.

There is an eternal bonding between fish and Bengalis. Any occasion is incomplete for us without fish preparations. Both Bengal and Bangladesh are surrounded by numerous rivers. They have been a superb source of freshwater fish for ages. The availability of fishes is the main reason behind the vogue of Fish Curries in these regions. This is the secret behind the huge variations of Fish curries in Bengali cuisine.

Whenever I talk about chingri malaikari, it always makes me feel nostalgic. As a bong, I have grown up eating this scrumptious Bengali prawn curry on many special occasions like biye bari, pohela boishakh, durga puja, bhai fota and even during celebrations like birthday parties or anniversaries.

In fact, when I used to work in Bengaluru and stayed in a PG, cooking non-veg was strictly prohibited. So, I used to go to a renowned Bengali restaurant and ordered chingri malai curry multiple times to satisfy my craving.

Chingri macher malai curry is a very simple and easy recipe. It requires very common ingredients which are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. It gets prepared very quickly but surprisingly tastes outstanding. It is a pure Bengali delicacy and you will get the essence of Bengal in it. The best part of the recipe is that you can refrigerate it for a couple of days and it will taste the same.

Prawn malai curry recipe is an effortless dish which makes it a great option for any small party or family get together. If you have canned coconut milk handy in your kitchen then it could be an ideal recipe to surprise your guests and receive lots of praise for your culinary skills.

I have learnt the chingri malaikari recipe from my mom and she got it from her mom, I mean my GRANDMA. So, you can consider it a 100-year-old recipe. I have cooked chingri macher malai curry for the first time only after my marriage when I was in Pune. I had called my Mom and got all the instructions over the phone. Everyone just loved the preparation and praised my cooking a lot. Till now, I have cooked this iconic recipe more than 20 times and have gained expertise in it.

Chingri macher malai curry with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then you will get prawn malai curry with perfect flavour and consistency which will even taste better than in restaurants.

• First cut and clean the prawns properly and then wash them.
• Shelled prawns taste better for the recipe. So try not to remove the complete shell of the prawn.
• Always use mustard oil to cook the recipe for better taste and flavour.
• Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder for at least 10 minutes. It enhances the taste of the prawns.
• Always fry the prawns on low flame and fry them for 30 seconds on each side. Don’t overcook or else the prawns will turn hard and rubbery in texture.
• Chingri malaikari gravy is smooth and creamy in texture. So, use pastes of onion, ginger-garlic and tomato. Chopped veggies won’t give you that texture.
• Prawn malai curry is mildly sweet in taste. So add a little bit of sugar into the gravy to enhance its taste.
• Coconut milk is one of the primary ingredients for the recipe. You can use either fresh coconut milk or readymade canned coconut milk for the recipe.
• Don’t skip to adding Bengali garam masala and ghee at the final stage of cooking. It makes a huge difference in flavour and taste.

To prepare prawn malai curry, first cut and clean each tiger prawn properly. I have shown each step to clean the prawns with pictures in the instructions section.

After this, marinate the prawns with salt, turmeric powder and keep them aside for at least 10 minutes.

On the other hand, add onion chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.

Then make a separate paste of ginger and garlic by grinding them in a mixer grinder. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.

Add tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.

For malai curry preparation, the gravy should be thick and smooth. So, it is very important to make pastes of the above-mentioned ingredients before cooking. Each of these ingredients is added at different stages of cooking. Hence, it is always better to make a separate paste of each ingredient rather than making a paste of all the ingredients together.

Extract the coconut milk from the freshly grated coconut or else you can use canned coconut milk for the recipe.

Put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot. Add the marinated prawns one by one into the pan and fry them over low flame for 35-40 seconds, flip them and fry for another 35-40 seconds. Then immediately take the prawns out of the pan and keep them separately.

In the same pan, add some more oil if required and allow it to become hot. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and let them crackle.

Then add onion paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on low initially because the paste may splatter. Then put the flame on medium-high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.

Add the ginger-garlic paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Add tomato paste, green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the oil gets separated. Stir in between.

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.

Add coconut milk into the pan and give a nice stir. Add sugar into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling.

Turn the flame low and take off the lid of the pan. Add the fried prawns into the gravy and stir it once gently. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes but not more than that.

At the final stage of cooking, add Bengali garam masala powder and ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These elements enhance the flavour of the dish to the next level.

Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

Many chingri recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Daab chingri
Lau chingri
Echor chingri

..And Many more…

• 500 grams tiger Prawns or giant kingPprawns (Bagda chingri or Golda chingri)
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 400 ml Coconut Milk, fresh or canned
• 1 large Onion, for paste
• 1 Tomato, deseeded and diced for paste
• 3 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
• 1 inch Ginger, for paste
• 2 green Chillies
• 3 Cardamoms
• 3 Cloves
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon Bengali garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons Mustard oil

1. First cut and clean each tiger prawn properly. Take a scissor and cut the rostrum (the spiky part above the eye). Then cut the head up to its jaw as shown in the picture with a scissor. Cut the legs of the prawns.
2. Cut the shell of the prawn as shown in the picture and then devein it.
3. Cut the upper part of the head like a small triangle as shown in the picture and remove the stomach located near its head.
4. Repeat the same process and cut the prawns and then rinse them with cold water.
5. Marinate the prawns with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and keep them aside for at least 10 minutes.
6. On the other hand, add onion chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
7. Add garlic cloves, peeled and diced ginger into the jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.
8. Add tomato chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
9. Extract the coconut milk from the freshly grated coconut or else you can use canned coconut milk for the recipe.
10. Put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add 4 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
11. Add the marinated prawns (Step 5), one by one into the pan and fry them over low flame for 35-40 seconds and flip them and fry for another 35-40 seconds. Then immediately take the prawns out of the pan and keep them separately.
12. In the same pan, add some more oil if required and allow it to become hot. Add 1 bay leaf, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves and let them crackle.
13. Put the flame on low and add onion paste (Step 6) into the pan and give a nice stir. Initially, the paste may splatter. Then put the flame on medium-high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.
14. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 7) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
15. Add tomato paste (Step 8), green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the oil gets separated. Stir in between.
16. Add salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and give a nice mix.
17. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.
18. Add the rest of the coconut milk into the pan and give a nice stir.
19. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling.
20. Turn the flame low and take off the lid of the pan. Add the fried prawns (Step 11) into the gravy and stir it once gently. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes but not more than that.
21. At the final stage of cooking, add ¼ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These elements enhance the flavour of the dish to the next level.
22. Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

Transfer the Chingri macher Malaikari into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Relish the authentic Bengali recipe with plain Rice and enjoy your special meal.

Chingri macher malai curry | Chingri malai curry | Prawn malai curry recipe

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 2.7/5

( 6 voted )

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Ingredients

To marinate the Prawn

• 500 grams tiger Prawns or giant kingPprawns (Bagda chingri or Golda chingri)
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt

For the malai curry gravy

• 400 ml Coconut Milk, fresh or canned
• 1 large Onion, for paste
• 1 Tomato, deseeded and diced for paste
• 3 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
• 1 inch Ginger, for paste
• 2 green Chillies
• 3 Cardamoms
• 3 Cloves
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon Bengali garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons Mustard oil

Instructions

1. First cut and clean each tiger prawn properly. Take a scissor and cut the rostrum (the spiky part above the eye). Then cut the head up to its jaw as shown in the picture with a scissor. Cut the legs of the prawns.
2. Cut the shell of the prawn as shown in the picture and then devein it.
3. Cut the upper part of the head like a small triangle as shown in the picture and remove the stomach located near its head.
4. Repeat the same process and cut the prawns and then rinse them with cold water.
5. Marinate the prawns with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and keep them aside for at least 10 minutes.
6. On the other hand, add onion chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
7. Add garlic cloves, peeled and diced ginger into the jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.
8. Add tomato chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
9. Extract the coconut milk from the freshly grated coconut or else you can use canned coconut milk for the recipe.
10. Put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add 4 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
11. Add the marinated prawns (Step 5), one by one into the pan and fry them over low flame for 35-40 seconds and flip them and fry for another 35-40 seconds. Then immediately take the prawns out of the pan and keep them separately.
12. In the same pan, add some more oil if required and allow it to become hot. Add 1 bay leaf, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves and let them crackle.
13. Put the flame on low and add onion paste (Step 6) into the pan and give a nice stir. Initially, the paste may splatter. Then put the flame on medium-high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.
14. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 7) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
15. Add tomato paste (Step 8), green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the oil gets separated. Stir in between.
16. Add salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and give a nice mix.
17. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.
18. Add the rest of the coconut milk into the pan and give a nice stir.
19. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling.
20. Turn the flame low and take off the lid of the pan. Add the fried prawns (Step 11) into the gravy and stir it once gently. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes but not more than that.
21. At the final stage of cooking, add ¼ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These elements enhance the flavour of the dish to the next level.
22. Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

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