Name: Why Clarissa’s tomato prawn curry belongs in your regular rotation
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg whole green prawns; 2 tablespoons fish curry powder (Baba’s brand curry powder is available from most Asian grocers); 1 cup water; 3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil; 2 pandan leaves, tied together in a knot; 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into cubes; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce; 1/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt; Steamed rice, to serve; Coriander leaves, to garnish; Curry paste; 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into small pieces; 3cm knob ginger, peeled; 3 brown onions, peeled and sliced into wedges; 3 cloves garlic, peeled

Curry usually feels like a winter comfort food – heavy, warming and full of dense flavours. Clarissa Feildel is turning that notion on its head, with a light and fragrant curry that works perfectly for the start of autumn. You’ll love the bright and zingy curry paste made from ginger and lemongrass, but it’s the delicious prawns that will keep you going back for more.

Ingredients

1 kg whole green prawns

2 tablespoons fish curry powder (Baba’s brand curry powder is available from most Asian grocers)

1 cup water

3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

2 pandan leaves, tied together in a knot

4 Roma tomatoes, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

1/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Steamed rice, to serve

Coriander leaves, to garnish

Curry paste

3 stalks lemongrass, cut into small pieces

3cm knob ginger, peeled

3 brown onions, peeled and sliced into wedges

3 cloves garlic, peeled

Method

Step 1

For the curry paste, place lemongrass, ginger, onions and garlic in a small food processor. Process to a smooth paste, adding a dash of water to loosen if necessary.

Step 2

Slice through the back of each prawn, leaving the head and shell attached. Ensure you cut 0.5cm into the flesh of the prawn and clean well.

Step 3

Combine curry powder with 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste. Heat oil in a large wok or deep frying pan with a lid over medium to high heat. Add curry powder paste.

Step 4

Add homemade curry paste and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in pandan leaves and tomatoes. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add remaining water and bring to the boil.

Step 5

Add prawns, salt, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 7–8 minutes or until prawns are nearly cooked. Remove from heat. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Stir in yoghurt. Serve curry with steamed rice. Garnish with coriander.

tomato and prawn curry with crunchy prawns with head still on herbs on top in a black bowl — *(Photography: Tim Roberts | Styling: Michele Cranston)*

Clarissa Feildel Chef

As an accomplished cook, author and television presenter Clarissa Feildel has always had food at the heart of everything she does. Clarissa’s Nyonya/Chinese and Sri Lankan background has given her a melting pot of dishes in her repertoire, which she uses every day when feeding her family.