Prawn, ginger and onion curry

Nici Wickes' delicious curry, from her Cook, Eat, Enjoy cookbook, is one of our midweek stalwarts. It's a mix of sweet, sour and slightly hot. Add one or two more Indian dishes and it's a great dinner for guests, too. Simply keep a bag of prawns in the freezer and you will be able to whip it up in a jiffy. And there's no need to defrost the prawns, as Nici says. Simply pop them into the sauce frozen.

Ingredients

5 cloves	Garlic, peeled
3	Green chillies, deseeded
1 tsp	Cumin seeds
2 medium	Onions
4 Tbsp	Cooking oil
1 tsp	Ground cumin
1 tsp	Ground coriander
¼ tsp	Chilli powder
1 tsp	Garam masala
½ tsp	Turmeric
1 cup	Chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 Tbsp	Tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp	Fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp	Salt
¼ cup	Water
450 g	Prawns, shelled, uncooked, fresh or frozen (Main)
8	Curry leaves, optional

Directions

1. Grind the garlic, chillies and cumin seeds to a paste using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder or food processor.
2. Halve the peeled onions lengthwise from top to bottom, then slice into thin slices, also from top to bottom (in the same directions as the lines as opposed to across). This technique enables them to cook faster.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until they are a deep golden colour. Add the garlic-chilli paste and fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the dry spices to the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tamarind, grated ginger, salt and water.
5. Cook on a rapid simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
6. Add the prawns and curry leaves (if using) and cook until the prawns are cooked through, 3-4 minutes for fresh prawns and 5-7 minutes for frozen. Serve with poppadoms and rice.