Keerai thandu is nothing but the thick and broad stem of Amaranth plant. The leaves are cooked like usual greens and stem (thandu) is cooked like vegetables. Usually people through away this stem, without knowing the nutrient properties of this. But this stem is also packed with goodness equally with the leaves.

This keerai thandu prawn curry is a delicious, super healthy food from my native. Since my hometown is a coastal village, we usually get fresh prawns with good quality, all the time. So we make this curry very often. This curry is prepared only the small prawns, because it tastes better than the big and older prawns. But here in Brunei, only big prawns are available always(they make dry prawns with small ones). This week when i suddenly noticed small prawns in a fish shop, i immediately bought that and prepared this curry on the same day. Also the amaranth stems shouldn’t be too young or too old. It should be the medium aged. With the coconut milk, it tastes extremely good and we loved that. Try this super delicious keerai thandu curry and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup keerai thandu (amaranth stem) cut into 1 inch size.

15 to 20 small prawns (cleaned)

2 tablespoons mochai (Hyacinth bean or field bean)

¼ teaspoons fenugreek seeds

15 pearl onions (shallots) sliced into two

3 to 4 green chilies

Few curry leaves

1 tomato (medium sized)

½ teaspoon red chilly powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons fish masala

1 lemon sized tamarind

1 cup thick coconut milk (1st extract)

2 cups coconut milk (2nd + 3rd extract)

Salt to taste

Oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the keerai thandu into one inch length. While cutting, remove the fibers you get. Boil the keerai thandu for 5 to 7 min. Drain and set aside.

Soak the tamarind in 2nd+ 3rd extract coconut milk for 15 min and extract the tamarind juice from this and set aside.

In a pan(i used earthen pot), add two tablespoons of oil. When heated, add mochai and fry in medium flame. Dont burn this. Just fry till they splutter and turn brown. Then add in fenugreek seeds and saute.

Then add pearl onions, curry leaves and green chilies and saute till the onion turn translucent.

Add tomato and boiled keerai thandu and cook for a min.Turmeric powder, red chilly powder and fish masala goes in. Saute till the raw smell goes off.

Then add the tamarind juice extracted using coconut milk and cleaned prawns. Close the pan with lid and cook in medium flame.When this begins to boil well, set the flame low and add 1st extract coconut milk. Cook for few min and remove from flame.

Serve hot with plain rice and vegetable fry. Enjoy !!!