Prawn curry with sautéed pupunha (heart of palm)

Prawn curries are always delicious. Regardless of which variety you choose to make or order at a restaurant (in India there are several recipes - Goan, Malabar, Madras, etc), this dish is bound for success. In our version of this Indian classic, the curried prawns are accompanied by sautéed pupunha, or hearts of palm in English. Hearts of palm are commonly used in Brazil, particularly in salads, and have a mild taste and a creamy consistency when cooked. If you haven't had the pleasure trying this versatile vegetable before, we certainly recommend that you do. And why not try making them as in our recipe below, served with a tasty prawn curry?

Prawn curry with sautéed pupunha (heart of palm)

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

12 large fresh prawns, cleaned

Juice of one lime

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

100 ml tomato puree

1/2 cup of water

3/4 green bellpepper, chopped

1 red chilli pepper, seedless and chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

100 ml coconut milk

1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup toasted, chopped cashew nuts

1 pupunha, finely sliced length-wise

50 gr butter

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper 

How to make:

1.  Wash the prawns under running water. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen cloth or with kitchen towel paper. 

2. In a deep frying pan, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and let these cook under low heat. 

3. When the onions begin to turn golden brown, add the garam masala and stir for around 2 minutes. 

4. Add the tomato puree, the bell peppers, the chilli peppers and water and, under high heat, stir all ingredients until the sauce begins to simmer. 

5.  Cover the pan with a lid and let the sauce cook for around 15 minutes under low heat. 

6. Add the coconut milk, half the cashew nuts and half the coriander to the sauce and leave it to simmer. 

7. In the meantime, boil the pupunha in a large pan of boiling water with a generous pinch of salt for around 5 minutes. Drain and reserve the pupunha while you finish the curry. 

8. Once the curry has slightly reduced, add the lime juice and increase the heat to high. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, add the prawns. Stir for around 5 minutes and turn the heat off so that the prawns do not over cook and turn rubbery. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. 

9. In a separate frying pan, quickly sauté the pupunha in butter. Season and add the chopped parsley. 

10. To serve, place some of the pupunha on a plate and cover with the prawn curry. Decorate with the remaining coriander and cashew nuts.