Chingudi Besara | Prawn in Mustard Gravy

"Chingudi Besara" is a very popular dish, where prawn is cooked in Mustard paste. Being an Odia this dish is very close to my heart and my personal favorite among all prawn cuisines.

There are many versions of this recipe, but the one I am sharing today, I have learned from my Badi Maa (Dad's elder brother's wife). It's a delectable recipe and loved by everyone in my family. There's a special Odia taste and feel in it. The balanced combination of the simple ingredients results in a scrumptious dish where the taste of the prawns is enhanced without being overpowered by the other ingredients. It’s rich and creamy with an underlying hint of tanginess coming from dried Mango.

Try it out along with hot steam rice and you can never get enough of it. If you like the recipe, feel free to drop a comment, which I am going to convey to my Badi Maa😉

   Ingredients :

• 200gm Medium sized Prawns - cleaned and deveined 
• 2 Potato - Cut lengthwise 
• 1 Brinjal - Cut lengthwise 
• 1 Big Onion - finely chopped 
• 1 small Tomato - finely Chopped 
• 2 Green Chilly 
• Salt 
• 1 tsp Red Chilly Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala 
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 
• 2 sun-dried Mango 
• 1 cup Water for Gravy 
• Mustard Oil for Cooking
  

Mustard Paste :

• 2 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds  
• 1 tsp white mustard seeds (optional)  
• 2-3 Green Chilly  
• 7-8 Garlic Cloves  
• 1 big Tomato - Chopped  
• 5 tbsp Water

Recipe Details : 

✓ Blend all the ingredients mentioned under "Mustard Paste" and make a smooth paste of it. Keep aside to use later.

✓ To the prawns, add salt, 1/4 tsp red chilly powder and 1/3 tsp turmeric powder to it. Mix well. Keep under Marination for around 5-10 mins.

✓ Heat around 4 tbsp Mustard Oil in a pan. Add the potato pieces and slightly fry them for around 2-3 mins in medium flame till they turn golden brown in color. Take out in a plate.

✓ Now add the marinated prawns to the pan and fry for around 5 mins till prawns turn golden brown in color. Take out in a plate.
 

✓ In the same pan, put Chopped Onions, Ginger garlic paste and Green Chilly. Cook for around 2-3 mins in low flame till onions becomes soft.

✓ Add the Chopped Tomatoes and salt as per taste. Mix it. Cover and cook till tomato softens.

✓ Next add the rest of red chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. Give everything and good mix.

✓ Add the Brinjal slices to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 mins more in low flame till Brinjal becomes soft and Masala is well cooked.

✓ Now add the mustard paste as required. Don't Cook after adding mustard paste, the gravy might turn bitter. Just Mix everything well once.

✓ Add water to the kadai and let it come to boil. Add the sun-dried mango also at this step.

✓ Once water starts boiling, add the earlier fried Prawns and Potato pieces to the kadai.

✓ Cover and cook for around 6-8 mins in low flame till the gravy thickens up. I like this dish a little thick, adjust the gravy consistency as you need. 

✓ Switch off the flame and keep it covered for 2-3 mins more.

✓ Serve hot with hot steam rice and some salad.

✓ Tips : Add more water if you want more gravy.
    Other vegetables like drumstick, Colocassia, Tapioca etc can also be added.
    Raw Mango can be used in stead of dried Mango.