Kolmi na kavaab (Parsee-style prawn kebabs)

1. 1

   For the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a pan until it gets a light haze and then fry the cinnamon.

2. 2

   When it changes colour, add the broken red chillies until they also darken in colour. (Keep your nose away from the pan as the frying chillies may cause you to cough and splutter.)

3. 3

   As soon as the chillies get darker, add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry on a medium heat until the onions become pale and soft.

4. 4

   For a hot sauce, add the green chillies at this stage. For a milder sauce, omit this step.

5. 5

   As soon as the onions become soft and pale, add the tomato pulp and continue cooking on a medium-low heat. Add the vinegar, sugar and tamarind pulp and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking and burning. You can add more water if the sauce thickens too much.

6. 6

   Check the consistency and cook it to the desired thickness - it needs to be of pouring consistency, but not too thick.

7. 7

   Season with salt, to taste, and add the chopped coriander. Stir well taste again and turn off the heat. This sauce is suitable as an accompaniment for most fried things. Transfer to a jar and set aside while you make the prawn kebabs.

8. 8

   For the prawn kebabs, pour the oil in a shallow pan, until it comes about 2cm/¾in up the sides. Turn the heat on to low while you prepare the other ingredients - keep a careful watch over the pan.

9. 9

   Add the onion, green chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger and mint to a food processor and process to chop them down. Scrape down around the bowl of the food processor and process again in a few bursts until broken into tiny fragments

10. 10

    Add all the remaining ingredients and chop for half a minute or so until the prawns are broken into tiny pieces but not minced down completely.

11. 11

    Remove and mix well in another bowl with a spatula.

12. 12

    Take a tiny bit of the mixture and fry it in the hot oil to check for seasoning. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

13. 13

    Apply a little oil to your palms, take a spoonful of the mixture and form it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, then flatten each ball slightly to make a small patty. (If preferred you can leave them round - the shape is for you to decide.)

14. 14

    Fry the kebabs in batches over a medium-high heat. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Once they're ready, remove to kitchen paper to drain while you do the next batch.

15. 15

    Repeat until the mixture is used up, but do not add too many of the kebabs into the oil at the same time as it will cool down too much and start to froth, and the kebabs will get oily.

16. 16

    Serve the kebabs hot with the tomato sauce. Any remaining sauce can be set aside in the fridge to serve with another dish.

1 serving ≈ 250 g

Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.