Name: Kerala Prawn Roast (Chemmen Roast)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Kerala, Indian
Ingredients: 1 medium onion, sliced; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp minced garlic (garlic paste); 1 tsp minced ginger (ginger paste); 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder; 1 tsp garam masala; ½ tsp ground coriander; 1 sprig of curry leaves; Coconut oil; Water; Salt to taste; 1 kg king prawns, cleaned and deveined; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder; 1 tsp white vinegar; Salt to taste

Before I go into this prawn roast (chemmen roast) recipe, let’s talk a bit about Kerala style roasts, in general. If you want to make one, all you have to do is fry marinated meat, and then make a spicy sauce to go with it. Unlike the Western style roasts that calls for baking, these require frying.

This prawn roast is packed with spices, and tastes great with rice or any Indian bread. The tip for making perfect prawns? Do not overcook them.

More Prawns Recipes

Yield: 4-5

Kerala Prawn Roast (Chemmen Roast)

Prawns stir fried in delicious spicy mixture.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

To marinate the prawns:

1 kg king prawns, cleaned and deveined
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp white vinegar
Salt to taste

To make the gravy:

1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp minced garlic (garlic paste)
1 tsp minced ginger (ginger paste)
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander
1 sprig of curry leaves
Coconut oil
Water
Salt to taste

Instructions

Clean the king prawns. Set aside.
Mix together ground turmeric, ground black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, vinegar, salt, and a little water to make a smooth paste.
Now use the paste to marinate prawns. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
Heat coconut oil in a pan, and shallow fry the prawns (One minute on each side should be more than enough). Once fried, remove the prawns from pan, and set aside.
In the same pan, splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves (Add more oil if needed). Fry sliced onions until brown. Then add ginger and garlic paste, and fry for a few seconds. Throw in the rest of the spices (chili powder, ground coriander and garam masala), and fry again. At this stage, you can add a little water. Finally, add the fried prawns and enough salt. Add enough water to cook the prawns, and make sure the roast doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook prawns until done.Garnish with more curry leaves if desired.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 289Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 422mgSodium 223mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 47g

Like this Kerala prawn roast recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram. Watch exclusive recipe videos on YouTube. Don’t forget to check out more fish recipes:

Comments

Lydia says

February 16, 2021 at 5:28 am

So easy and absolutely wonderful! For personal preferences I increased the amount of paste for the marinade. Will definitely make this again!

Dr D Venmani says

April 5, 2022 at 1:12 am

Became my favourite

Sheryn says

November 20, 2022 at 12:39 pm

This was a hit in our household! Absolutely delicious. I halved the chili powder in both marinade and during the sautéing process.