Spicy Shrimp curry (Era thokku)

After publishing the Chettinadu chicken biriyani, I was getting many requests from friends for this Shrimp curry. Here I am narrating how I prepare this tongue tickling shrimp thokku. This recipe may seem more oily, but definitely lesser than a fried shrimp. I prepare this kind of spicy and oily non veg recipes along with ghee rice, coconut milk rice or curd rice. Changing the ingredients' proportion will not yield the authentic South Indian shrimp curry. So stick to the recipe.
My hubby is not a fan of any crustaceans like shrimp or crab. So I rarely prepare those items. I used to wait for friends and family who like these foods and prepare these for them and would enjoy the food along with them. Nowadays I too rarely prepare Xav's non-favorite foods , as it is not interesting for me and so I didn't have any recent photos for this dish:) Try this one and tell me how you love it:)

Shrimp spicy curry / Indian prawn poriyal / eral thokku:

Chettinadu chicken biryani served with era(Shrimp) thokku .

You may need:
A thick bottom kadai / wok
a tight lid
spatula

Ingredients: 
sea shrimp - 1 lb (1/2 kg)
sesame oil - 1/4 cup
shallot onion - 25 number (naattu vengayam)
curry leaf - 1 sprig
fennel seeds (sombu) - 1 tsp
mace (jathi pathiri) - tiny bit
fresh ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
tomato - 4
green chilly - 3
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
sea salt - as per need

To Fry and grind (masala powder):
coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
dry red chilly - 5
channa dal - 1 tbsp
black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 3
cloves - 6
fennel - 1/2 tsp
nutmeg(jathikkai ) - 1 tiny shaving

Method: 
Buy fresh small or medium size shrimp. (Larger variety prawn / shrimp may taste bland - my opinion only). Remove the shell and intestines (green stuff seen at back of shrimp). Rinse well. Keep aside.

Bring to boil 1/2  cup water. Cook the tomato, peel(remove skin) and grind to a fine paste in that cooked water. Keep aside.

Heat the wok with 1 tsp oil, fry the items (chana dal, chilly, coriander - one by one separately and the others together) mentioned for grinding and grind it to a fine powder.

Heat 1/4 cup sesame oil / coconut oil in the wok. Add fennel, mace and let the fennel get red. Then add chopped shallot and fry till it gets golden brown. Put curry leaves, freshly made ginger garlic paste (1 inch ginger + 6 cloves of garlic). Fry for few seconds or till raw smell vanishes. Add the pureed tomato and cook till oil shows up. Then add the cleaned shrimp, salt, turmeric powder, green chillies and cook covered for 10 minutes (medium flame). Then add the prepared masala powder and cook covered in low flame till oil separates (5 minutes).
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro (optional). Switch off! Shrimp thokku is ready!

Serving suggestions: 
Serve as side dish with biriyani, curd rice, sambar rice, rasam rice, chapati.

Chilly chicken

Chilly chicken is another popular Indian chicken recipe. We can taste Chilly chicken in most of the Indian restaurants anywhere. People often say that chilly chicken is an Indo-Chinese food. I don't know for sure about this fact, but I like the deep flavor of capsicum and spring onions in it. I have tried to make chilly chicken on my own many times (came out good though), but wanted to get a typical flavored recipe. So I referred Deepa's (Hamaree rasoi) chilly chicken and got the basic idea for this recipe. I like her recipe very much, as it is easy to understand and gives me the correct taste.  I have added black pepper and Ap flour instead of white pepper and corn starch, as I had that only at hand. Turmeric is one ingredient I always add compulsorily in most of my non veg foods. Other than that it is very same as Deepa's.
Some people call the same recipe as chicken manchurian. Whatever the name be, here is a totally irresistible chicken dish from my kitchen to yours:)

Chilly chicken

Step 1:
To marinate:
skinless boneless chicken thigh - 1 kg
All purpose flour / corn flour - 3 tbsp
soy sauce - 2 tbsp
vinegar - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
egg - 1
salt - to taste
turmeric - 1 tsp

Ginger - 3 inch
garlic - 6 cloves

Grind ginger garlic together. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Mix everything above in a mixing bowl along with ginger garlic paste. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Step 2:
Oil - 200 ml.
Deep fry the chicken pieces in medium fire. Ensure that the pieces are cooked well and turns golden red.
Don't crowd the oil. It will take nearly 30 minutes, depending upon the wok size.
while frying, I chopped the other ingredients and made the chapati:)
Keep the fried chicken pieces in a paper towel and drain excess oil. Keep aside.

Step 3:
For garnish:
green capsicum - 1 large
(bell pepper / kudai milagai)
scallion (spring onion) - 1 small bunch
white onion - 1 large
black / white pepper powder - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
remaining marinade
tomato sauce - 2 tbsp
corn starch - 1 tbsp
soy sauce - 1 tsp
garlic - 6 cloves
green chilly - 4

Mince garlic and green chilly finely. Chop the scallion to 1/2 inch pieces.
Cut the capsicum and onion into 1 inch squares.
After frying the marinated chicken pieces, drain the oil in paper towels.
Discard excess oil from the frying pan and retain only 2 to 3 tbsp oil.
Put the chopped onion and capsicum, fry for a few seconds.  Add the minced garlic, green chilly.
Add little salt (as we have already added salt before frying the chicken), soy sauce, dissolved corn starch, tomato ketchup, pepper powder and mix well.
Add 1/4 cup water to the left over marinade and add to the wok.
Cook for a few minutes. Before switching off, add the fried chicken mix well.
Garnish with chopped scallion.
Chilly chicken is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot as side dish with any fried rice or chapati or noodle.
Serves 6 - 8 people

Time taken:
Marination - 2 hours
preparation - 30 minutes
frying - 30 minutes
garnish - 15 minutes
This may seem a time consuming process, but worth the effort.