IndianCuisine

Cook · West Indian · Maharashtrian

Prawn koliwada Prawn koliwada

The fiery-red fried prawns of Mumbai’s Koli fisherfolk: lean prawns in a tangy gram-flour batter, crisp outside and juicy within. A coastal bar-snack classic.

Non-vegetarian 22g protein West Indian

25 min

+ marinade

4

serves

Easy

effort

Why this recipe works

Koliwada is about a crisp, tangy coat over lean, quick-cooking prawns. The batter is gram flour (besan) with a little semolina for crunch, coloured red with Kashmiri chilli and sharpened with ginger-garlic and lemon. The rule with prawns: fry fast, they cook in a couple of minutes and turn rubbery if pushed.

Ingredients

  • Prawns, cleaned400 g
  • Gram flour (besan) + semolina1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
  • Kashmiri chilli, ginger-garlic2 tsp + 1 tbsp
  • Ajwain, lemon1/2 tsp + 1
  • Oil (to fry), saltas needed

Method

  1. 1

    Marinate the prawns in ginger-garlic, chilli, ajwain and lemon.

  2. 2

    Coat in a thick gram-flour and semolina batter.

  3. 3

    Fry hot and fast until crisp and just cooked.

    Why fast: prawns cook in two to three minutes, so a quick fry in hot oil crisps the coat before the prawns overcook and toughen.

  4. 4

    Drain well and finish with chaat masala and lemon.

An honest word

Prawn koliwada is a treat built on a good base: prawns are lean, high-protein and low in fat, but the dish is deep-fried in batter, which adds oil. To lighten it, shallow-fry or air-fry, drain the prawns really well, and serve with salad and lemon. One note for some diners: prawns are higher in dietary cholesterol, though for most people that is fine in normal portions.