Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 1 cup / 200 g - raw rice flour
• 1.5 - 1.75 cups - water
• 1/2 tsp - ghee
• 1/4 tsp - salt
• 1 tsp - jeera (cumin seeds)
• 2 tsp - extra oil
• 1 banana leaf ( washed and cleaned ) (cut banana leaves into 15 cm x 15 cm square pieces)
• For prawns:
• 500 g - prawns (225 net weight after cleaning and deveining)
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• Wash, clean and devein the prawns. Drain out water completely. In a wide bowl, mix prawns with turmeric powder and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.
• Other ingredients
• 1 tbsp - oil
• 1 -onion, finely sliced
• 6- curry leaves
• 6- garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp - red chilli powder (or to taste / 3/4 tsp for more spicy)
• 1/2 tsp - pepper powder
• 1 tsp - coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp - water
• 1/2 tsp - salt (or to taste)

How to Make Chemmeen Ada (Prawns Ada)

• Boil water in a thick bottomed vessel / saucepan. Add salt, jeera and ghee. When water (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups - not more than 1 3/4 cups) starts boiling add rice flour and mix well. Rice flour should be well mixed with water. Stir continuously. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Add 1 tsp oil to the rice dough and knead well. Divide into 6 - 7 lemon sized portions.
• Other ingredients
• Dilute red chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder in 1 tbsp water and keep it ready (spice mix).
• Heat oil in a pan. Add finely sliced onion and fry till golden colour on a medium to low heat.
• Add curry leaves and fry well.
• Add chopped garlic and fry well until light golden colour.
• Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes until thickens / water dries up / raw smell goes.
• At this stage, add marinated prawns, cover again (do not add water) and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until done and prawns tender (light pink in colour). Overcooking will make the prawns hard in texture. Switch off the heat and stir well.
• Final preparation:
• Clean banana leaf. Smoke this leaf on flame for a few seconds so that it becomes flexible and easy to fold.
• Cut banana leaf into 7 - inch square pieces.
• Take a piece of banana leaf.
• Keep a lemon sized rice dough portion over it.
• Keep another piece of banana leaf smeared with oil (with oiled portion facing down) the dough.
• Press evenly to form a thin circle of rice dough of approximately 10 - 12 cm diameter.
• Carefully remove the leaf on top.
• Now one will see a thin circle of rice dough.
• Keep 4 tsps prawns curry mixture in it length wise along its centre.
• Fold into semi-circle and seal the edges tightly - such that the outer covering is the banana leaf which was placed initially.
• Repeat this process for the remaining dough / filling.
• Recipe Courtesy: Niya's World