Name: Chingri Malai Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients: 10 Jumbo Prawn/ Galda Chingri (if not available medium-sized shrimp can also be used); 1" Whole Cinnamon; 2 Dried Red Chilli; 2 Green Cardamom; 1 Black Cardamom; 5-6 Clove; 2 Bay Leave; 1.5 cup Coconut Milk; 5 Onion; 1 Tomato (Big); 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste; 1.5 Tbsp. Garlic Paste; 1 Tsp. Bengali Garam Masala Powder; 1/2 Tsp. Cumin Powder; 2 Tsp. Turmeric powder; 1 Tsp. Red Chilli Powder; 2 Tsp. Sugar; 1 Tsp. or Salt to taste; 4 Tbsp. Mustard Oil; 1 Tbsp. Ghee/ Clarified Butter

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Chingri Malai curry is a signature Bengali prawn delicacy prepared with jumbo prawns or Shrimps and coconut milk. Before going further with the recipe, let me tell you this dish has its origin outside Bengal and even India. Yes, you read it right. I will talk about the same below.

My Chingri Malai Curry memories!

I remember cooking it for the first time when I was 18 years old. Though I have cooked it several times after that, however, I still remember that first time at my grandmother's place. We used to visit my Dida’s house on the subsequent Sunday of Jamai Shashti (a famous ritual prevailed in West Bengal to worship for the wellbeing of Son in Laws by their respective Mother in Laws) for a grand family gathering. The occasion was celebrated with lots of authentic and special Bengali dishes. Being part of a Middle-Class Joint family we were mostly served with normal food and naturally waiting for those kinds of special occasions to taste special delicacies.

My Dida, Maa, and Mashi used to cook an entire Bengali course. I loved to see them cooking the delicacies. I finally entered the kitchen when I was 18! It was chingri malakari that I cooked. On that day a relative told me something negative. He told me that I don’t know how to cook this signature dish. According to him, it was quite normal since in middle-class families we eat these dishes on rare occasion and hence not aware of the proper process! I was disappointed and wounded like anything.

I was angry with my parents since they didn’t reply to that person apart from a calm smile.

In the evening, while returning home I was not talking to my father. Baba then told me that “I know you are hurt that we haven’t said anything to that person. Believe me, that was for a reason. You must understand we haven’t told anything to those who were praising you either. It is better if you try to accept both positive and negative side of life!” I asked him “Was it that bad Baba?” and he replied with a smile “no it was not and for me, it was the best thing that I had in my life. You must take note that there will be a time when you need to ignore the negative influences.”

Am I right or AM I RIGHT with the Chingri Macher Malaikari Recipe!

From then I prepped this dish numerous times with the same recipe! I was waiting to post it in Debjanir Rannaghar on some special occasion and what could have been better than posting Chingri Macher Malaikari as the 100^th post of my blog and yes, today I am open for any positive and negative comment with an open heart.

The origin of Bengali Prawn Malai Curry!

Anyway, let me come back to Chingri Malai Curry. This is a classic preparation with Prawns and flavored with Coconut Milk! We Bongs are very good at changing the names for the ease of our pronunciation. Chingri Macher Malaikari is one of the greatest examples of this name changing game where Malaikari is actually “Maloy Curry”. A prawn curry flavored with coconut milk originally from Malaysia is modified into a Signature Bengali Dish known as Chingri Macher Malaikari.

Here's how I make Chingri Malai Curry at Debjanir Rannaghar!