Bengali Prawn Fried Rice

Ask most people whether they love "Lau Ghonto" or "Chalkumro Ghonto" and most people will give a glare of disdain ensuring you not to ask the question once again.Typically Lau or Chalkumro are dull vegetables having very little taste in them.So, when the Bengali discovered shrimps then they started using Shrimps with these vegetables thereby giving the dish a nice flavour.The shrimps acts as a taste and flavour enhancer for the pure plain dish.Shrimps or Kucho Chingri are one of the widely used ingredients in Bengali Food but as a complement to main ingredient.
But another wide range of dishes where Shrimps are used in is Fried Rice.Most commonly in Chinese fried rice, here, is how Shrimps can be customized for Bengali fried rice.

Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 1 hr to 1 hr15mins.
Cooking Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:
Preparing the rice:

• Rice: 200 gms.Use good quality Basmati rice.Soak the rice in water for 30 mins.
• Beans - 50 gms.Cut into very small(1/4th inch in length) pieces
• Carrot - 50 gms. Sliced into long pieces.
• Peas - 50 gms(Seeds only).
• Cashew Nuts - 50 gms
• Soaked Raisins - 25 gms
• Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp.
• Vegetable Oil - 1 tb sp.
• Melted Ghee - 2 tb sp.
• Sugar - 1 to 1.5 tsp depending upon the amount of sweetness desired.
• Salt - to taste

Shrimps Ingredients:

• Shrimps - 100 gms.Cleaned and dried.Coat the prawns with the turmeric powder and salt to taste and keep aside for 10 mins.
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp.
• Back Pepper Powder - 1 tsp.
• Salt- According to taste.
• Vegetable Oil - 2 tb sp for frying the prawns lightly. 1 tb sp for preparing the gravy.
• Onion- 1 medium(50 gms).Half of it made into a fine paste.The remaining half diced.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.Crushed.
• Ginger - A 1/4th inch piece.Crushed.
• Tomato - 25 gms.Paste/Pureed.
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp or a Pinch.

Whole Spices:

• Bay leaf - 1
• Green Cardamon - 3.
• Cinnamon Stick - One 1 inch piece.

Preparation:
Rice(15-20 mins):
Prepare rice like it is normally done - but add 1 tb sp of ghee and salt to taste during preparing.Spread it on plates under a fan so that the remaining moisture is vapourized and the rice becomes dry.

Vegetables(10-15 mins):
Lightly steam the Beans,carrot and peas in some boiling water and add salt to the boiling water for 10 mins.This will ensure taste in the vegetables.Once steamed, remove the vegetables and dry it in a wide plate.

Shrimps(30 mins):
Frying the Shrimps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and toss the shrimps one by one.
• Fry on both sides for 3-4 mins.
• Remove the prawns once done and put them on a tissue to drain the excess oil clinging to the surface.

Preparing the curry:

• Under meat high heat: Heat the vegetable oil meant for preparing the prawn curry and add the ginger and garlic pastes.
• When the aroma evolves, add the diced onion slices.
• Add the onion paste and tomato paste/puree once the onion pieces have turned brown.
• When the moisture content reduces, add the shrimps and braise them for 10-12 mins.
• Then add the black pepper powder and salt to taste.
• Add 50 ml of warm water, and reduce the heat to low.
• Let the prawn pieces cook for 20-25 mins/until the water content gets reduced to a thick gravy(approx 2 tb sps).
• Sprinkle the garam masala powder and give a final stir.
• Remove the prawns and keep aside. Keep the gravy too in a container.

Cooking:

• Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a kadai/wok.
• When the oil is hot, add the whole spices. 
• After sometime the aroma of the whole spices evolve,then add the boiled vegetables - carrot, beans and pepper.
• Turn the heat to low.
• Sprinkle the powdered black pepper onto the mixture and stir for a couple of minutes.
• Then add the rice and continue stirring for 5 minutes at the end of which, add the cashew nuts and soaked raisins.
• Mix the cashew nuts,raisins with the rice and then add the  prawn gravy(2 tb sp).
• Continue stirring for another 3-4 minutes.
• Spread the shrimps across the rice and mix well.
• Then add ghee and sugar(as per desired quantity) and salt(if required),
• Stir for another 2 mins and serve with item of choice.