Today is Thursday and it is a special one since this day is marked for guests at Kiri’s blog. However, this Thursday is very special for me since I have the opportunity to be in the company of fabulous guest bloggers who, in the past, have shared their recipes on Kiri’s lovely blog on food and travel – healthyfoodietravels. And, also, this Thursday happens to be my first blog-anniversary!
Actually this post was scheduled for February but due to my travel schedule, I requested Kiri for it to be rescheduled. Kiri was very kind and considerate and readily agreed to accommodate my guest post for March. It never occurred to me then that my guest post would be coinciding with my blog-anniversary and I am so glad that this offered me a unique way to celebrate it!! Whatever happens, happens for a reason and so I have always believed…J
I spent two days obsessed with the thought of the guest post! When I told hubby about the dish dilemma, he suggested why not a guest post on the skewered Chilli Garlic Prawns that I had made a few weeks ago. I had made prawns and served them with green chutney. I had received encouraging remarks from him and my daughter (her approval is my yardstick to measure the success of my experiments in the kitchenJ).
The idea of serving it with Bhakri came from a food magazine. However, I have made a few changes in the recipe. I have reduced the amount of ghee i.e. clarified butter (available in Indian & middle eastern grocery shop) and I added a little bit of sweetness to the bread which pairs very well with the spiciness of the chutney. What I love most about this dish is the rustic edge lent by the Bhakri and the richness it brings to the simplicity of the prawns. I hope you will enjoy this simple dish as much as my family did.
Marinade for Prawns 8 Medium sized Prawns/ Tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined (tails attached) 4 cloves garlic 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp red chilli flakes (coarse) 2 tsp olive oil Salt to taste For Chutney 3/4 cup mint leaves 1 cup coriander stems (tender) 1-2 green chillies (+/- as per taste) 2 cloves garlic 2-3 tsp lemon juice 2/3 tbsp roasted peanuts or bengal grams (without skin) salt to taste For Bhakri 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 1/2 tsp caster sugar 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted 5-6 tsp clarified butter (ghee) Warm water to knead the dough Garnish Olives, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes finely chopped
Wash the coriander and mint well and grind them along with the other ingredients in a mixer until smooth. If you are unable to achieve the smooth texture, add just a little bit of olive oil and water. Wash the prawns and drain water. Sprinkle salt and 1 tbsp lemon juice over prawns and let them sit for 3-4 minutes. Wash the prawns again and drain excess water. Mix together the ingredients for the marination and add to the prawns. Marinate for half an hour. Grill both the sides of the prawns in a grill pan till they become pink and opaque. (I roasted them in the oven for 2 minutes.) For Bhakri, mix the cumin seeds, ghee, salt and sugar to the flour. Add clarified butter and mix the flour with your hands till a crumb like consistency is achieved and the dough starts coming together when you press it in your fist. Add water gradually and starts kneading until the dough is rollable. The dough must be firm and NOT hard. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. Roll the dough into thick chapati and cut out 2 inch discs out of the chapati. Shallow fry them on a medium low flame on a griddle. Press them using little pressure to make them crisp. To serve, put a little chutney on the Bhakri and place a prawn on it. Garnish and serve. Note: The grilling or roasting time of prawns will depend on the size of the prawns. Note: Do not reduce the amount of the ghee or else you will be compromising on the taste of the Bhakri. Note: I used minimalist amount of ghee to shallow fry the Bhakris. You can brush them with ghee before putting them on a griddle. Note: The Bhakri can be prepared in advance and warmed before serving.
Before I sign off with my blog-anniversary post, I wish to thank you all – my blogger friends/ followers/ readers and visitors for your immense support and love. You can’t imagine how much it means to me…When I was taking baby steps in the blogging world, I had not imagined that I would have the support of such a wonderful blogging community J I am actually overwhelmed…THANK YOU so much EVERYONE!!
And thanks again Kiri for having me over as a guest at your blog. You made my blog-anniversary extra special J
Thanks for visiting and see you soon!
