Foods of Kerala

Photo by: Live to Eat
Kerala Prawn Fry-
Yes, it is Prawn Fry. The white lump you see in the middle is indeed a prawn. Can you see a small black object to the bottom right of the white lump? :) That is Kudampuli aka Malabar Tamarind or Fish Tamarind or Gamboje as it is known in English. It is very similar to, but not the same as Kokum, but some of the Kerala cookbooks in English translates kudampuli to kokum. See what it looks like here. Kudampuli ... more 

Photo by: Live to Eat
Kerala Prawn Fry-
Yes, it is Prawn Fry. The white lump you see in the middle is indeed a prawn. Can you see a small black object to the bottom right of the white lump? :) That is Kudampuli aka Malabar Tamarind or Fish Tamarind or Gamboje as it is known in English. It is very similar to, but not the same as Kokum, but some of the Kerala cookbooks in English translates kudampuli to kokum. See what it looks like here. Kudampuli is used in most traditional fish curries in Kerala in place of tamarind. It tastes different from tamarind, it has a very peculiar sour taste that adds an extra oomph to seafood. I don’t use kudampuli much, since Siv is the seafood guy, and his recipes are all using Tamarind. In fact, this is one of the few recipes where I use Kudampuli, and it makes a big difference to the taste. One of my favorite prawn recipes. This recipe is adapted from Flavours of the Spice Coast by Mrs.K.M. Mathew Ingredients * 1 lb prawns, shelled and deveined * To Grind o 1 tbsp chilli powder o 1 tsp coriander powder o 1/4 tsp pepper powder o 1/8 tsp turmeric powder o 1 tbsp ginger slices o 1 tbsp garlic slices o 1/4 cup button onions * 3 pieces of kudampuli * a few curry leaves * salt to taste * 1 tsp ginger, thinly sliced * For the seasoning o 1 dsp oil o 1 tsp mustard seeds o 2 cups thinly sliced onions o a few curry leaves Method Wash and soak the k less