Step 1

Devein the prawns and wash them properly.

Step 2

Drain the water completely and marinate the prawns with turmeric powder and salt.

Step 3

Keep the marination for one hour.

Step 4

Heat a flat pan and add all the whole spices, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Step 5

Dry roast all the spices for few minutes until aromatic and switch off.

Step 6

Allow them to cool down and grind into a fine powder.

Step 7

Our Chettinad special masala is ready.

Step 8

Heat some gingelly oil in a pan, add bay leaf and fennel seeds for seasoning.

Step 9

Let the fennel seeds splutter, add red chillies and chopped onions.

Step 10

Saute onions very well to get a nice browned effect.

Step 11

Also, add curry leaves a handful for the traditional flavor.

Step 12

Now add ginger garlic paste and saute well to remove the raw smell of garlic.

Step 13

Cook ginger garlic with onions for two minutes on high and add tomatoes. You can also use minced/fine chopped ginger and garlic pieces too.

Step 14

Saute the tomatoes well for few minutes until they become soft and mushy.

Step 15

Some chilli powder and coriander powder.

Step 16

Add some water to cook the masala powders. Note that prawns also release some water while cooking.

Step 17

Now add the marinated prawns and mix with the masala.

Step 18

Add salt and the freshly prepared Chettinad masala powder.

Step 19

Pour some water, cover with a lid and cook the prawns for only five minutes.

Step 20

If your prawns are uncut/large then allow them to cook for a few more minutes.

Step 21

Prawns turn white in color when cooked.

Step 22

If you want a gravy consistency switch off at this point.

Step 23

And for dry prawn masala, let cook uncovered for few more minutes to get desired consistency.

Step 24

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamy rice along with sambar/rasam rice.