Name: Bengali Chingri Aloo Dalna
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Prawns, medium sized, cleaned and deveined; 1 Potato, peeled and cut into large cubes; ½ Onion, made into a fine paste; ½ Tomato, pureed; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 1½ tbsp Mustard Oil, essential for authentic Bengali taste; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ½ Indian Bay Leaf; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, divided; ½ tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder; ½ tsp Ground Cumin; ¼ tsp Garam Masala, bengali style (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves); ¾ cup Water; ½ tsp Salt, divided

45 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat mustard oil in a kadhai until it begins to smoke slightly, then reduce the heat. Lightly fry the marinated prawns for just 1-2 minutes until they turn orange and curl up. Remove and keep aside.
1–2 min
In the same oil, fry the potato cubes until they get a light golden crust. Remove and keep aside.
To the remaining oil, add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the onion paste and fry well until it turns golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for another 2 minutes to eliminate the raw smell.
2 min
Lower the flame and add tomato puree, turmeric, cumin powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Cook until the masala releases oil from the sides.
Add the fried potatoes along with warm water and salt. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and soft.
10–12 min
Once potatoes are done, slide the fried prawns into the bubbling gravy. Cook for barely 3 minutes (do not overcook prawns or they become rubbery).
3 min
Turn off the heat. Stir in the garam masala powder and let it rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.
5 min

How to tell it's done

Soft, floury potatoes and snappy, curled prawns resting in a rich, deeply savory, and vibrant red gravy.

Getting it right

Tip

Prawns take very little time to cook. Frying them briefly at the start and adding them right at the end ensures they remain incredibly juicy and tender.

What to serve it with

This dish is the absolute star of a Bengali lunch when poured over a mound of hot steamed white rice.

Kolhapuri Kaju Masala

Kaju masala simmers whole cashews in the fiery Kolhapuri masala of roasted coconut and red chilli.

45 minvegetarian

Kolhapuri Veg Diwani Handi

Veg diwani handi cooks mixed vegetables and paneer in a cashew gravy, sealed and finished in one pot.

50 minvegetarian

Lasooni Dal Tadka

Lasooni dal tadka pours a garlic-heavy tempering over the dal at the end.

50 minvegan

Lauki Kofta

Lauki kofta fries grated bottle gourd dumplings and simmers them in a spiced gravy.

1 hr 10 minvegetarian

Lauki Tamatar Ki Sabzi

Lauki tamatar ki sabzi cooks bottle gourd with tomato until the gourd softens into a light gravy.

30 minvegan

Lobia Aloo Curry

Lobia aloo curry cooks black-eyed peas with potato in an onion and tomato gravy.

6 hr 40 minvegan

Ingredients