Spicy prawn stew

 Spicy prawn stew

This spicy prawn stew is filling, as fiery as you like, and couldn't be easier to put together when you're pushed for time.

One of my abiding memories from childhood is my parents' dinner parties. It didn't matter who they had invited - family, old friends, new acquaintances or work colleagues - they were always raucous affairs that lasted for hours. Mum generally made curries on these nights for two reasons: first, curries are fantastic dishes for sharing; and second, due to my childhood aversion to anything resembling spice, it meant my parents could enjoy a curry without me flailing around dramatically in reaction to the merest hint of heat (my brother and I would have to come and say hello to all the guests before being packed swiftly off to bed, with strict instructions to stay upstairs). 

On those evenings, the dining room would come alive with exotic sights and sounds - oranges, reds and yellows crashing into each other; the cracks of poppadoms, clinking glasses and flowing wine punctuated by sudden bursts of thunderous laughter erupting from an increasingly loud hubbub as the evening wore on, which always lulled me to sleep. For this reason, I have always associated curries and spicy dishes with feelings of joy and warmth. 

Obviously, at the tail end of 2020, we're not hosting any dinners, but with the colder temperatures creeping up on us, I felt like summoning up some warmth. This isn't a curry per se - it's definitely quicker to prepare and uses much fewer ingredients. And the advantage of this spicy prawn stew is that you can adjust the spice content to make it as mild or as fiery as you like. Plus, you can use chicken or tofu in lieu of the prawns. And when we're back in a place where we can start inviting others round again, I shall make this dish and bask in the warm glow of food and friendship.  

Spicy prawn stew

Ingredients (for 4 people)

700g frozen prawns 

2 onions, sliced

20cl coconut cream

3 tsp tomato paste

1 to 3 tsp curry powder, depending on taste

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tbsp sunflower oil

Instructions

1) Fry the onions in the sunflower oil on a medium heat until they are translucent and fragrant (about 5 minutes).

2) Add the curry powder, paprika and ginger powder and stir well.

3) Add the prawns and stir well, so that they are covered in the onion and spice mixture. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the prawns are nearly cooked.

4) Add the coconut cream and tomato paste and stir well. Lower the heat slightly and leave to simmer for about 8 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through. 

Serve with white rice.

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