Chingri Macher Kalia (Bengali Shrimp curry)

Today, I want to share a quick and mouth watering bengali delicacy of Shrimp or Prawn. If you want delicious home made lunch made in jiffy, this is just perfect then for a leisurely weekend lunch. It goes well with white rice. This preperation is called Shrimp kalia or Chingri macher kalia. Kalia is a style of preperation in Bengali cuisine, which is made with fish, meat or vegetables with a sauce usually based on onion and ginger paste and with a touch of Bengali Garam masala powder and very little spice used. Bengali garam masala is different from North Indian Garam Masala. In bengali garam masala, there are only 3 ingredients, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. It is grounded into powder and added at the end of the preperation to give the curry a special distinctive flavour.

Ingredients :
Shrimp/Prawn(medium/big) : 10-15
Potato(medium) : 2
Onion(grated) : 2-3 tblsp.
Ginger paste : 1 tsp.
Tomato : 2, chopped
Green Chilli : 1, chopped
Bay leaf : 1
Cardamom : 2, cloves : 3-4, Cinnamon : 1(1") stick
Turmeric power: 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 + 1 tblsp.
Garam Masala powder : 1 tsp.(ground powder of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)

Method :

• Wash shrimps/prawns and marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Cut potatoes in medium chunks. Heat 2 tblsp. oil in a pan, fry the potato pieces with a pinch of salt. Keep aside. In the same oil, fry shrimps on both sides until they turn lightly brown. Note: do not fry shrimps longer. They tend to get hard when over fried.
• (Clean the oil if needed)In the same oil, add grated onion/onion paste, fry till paste turns light brown, then add chopped green chillies and ginger paste. Stir fry for 2-3 mins.,then dilute turmeric and red chilli powder in 2 tblsp. water and add to the paste. 
• Saute for few minutes, then add chopped tomatoes and stir fry in medium flame till tomatoes turn pulpy and oil separates from masala. Add fried potato pieces and shrimps. Mix well with the spice paste, add sugar and salt. Mix well. 
• Add about 1 cup of water and in medium flame let it cook with lid closed until potatoes are cooked and you have your desired consistency of gravy. Remove from heat and sprinkle garam masala powder over the gravy. 
• A Variation : In winter, add fresh green peas in the curry after you add water. 

Serve hot with white rice.