Daab Chingri/Prawns cooked in tender coconut

We at Kolkata Food Blogger's have started a new event where we are introducing one blogger per week by choosing a recipe from their blog and recreating it. The idea germinated in my head seeing a number of guest posts on the blogosphere. This event has made us dig deep into each other's blog and thus know more about each other's food journey. 
This week Jayati Saha is our featured blogger who blogs from Jayati and Tito's Food Journey
Jayati is working as a senior project manager in a corporate house and finds cooking as mode of enjoyment and therapy. She started her blog on her son's insistence and assistance and now is hooked onto the enjoyment of creating and sharing recipes on her blog. This event was especially an eye opener for me into her amazing world of food. She cooks from her heart and loves to do so for her beautiful family. It was really hard for me to move away from her list of delectable sweets and bakes. I purposely tried choosing a recipe that is not really my style. The hunt in doing so made me witness scores of amazing, simple and easy everyday recipes. I zeroed on the Daab Chingri as it was on my 'must try' list for some time. 
Daab chingri as the name suggests is an amazing Bengali dish where the prawns are cooked in a tender coconut using the water and the soft kernel of it. Otherwise a simple dish, the presentation quotient is sky high with it being served in a coconut shell. The sweetness of the tender coconut kernel and water used in the gravy lends this dish an amazing flavour. Served with hot boiled rice, this dish will win hearts instantly and earn many accolades. 

Ingredients : For 2-3 servings

• 1 tender young coconut with its water and pulp
• Prawns (deveined and cleaned) 10-15 
• 1 medium sized onion
• 5-6 garlic pods
• 1" piece ginger
• 1 green chilly
• 4-5 cashewnuts
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds, soaked in some water
• 1/2 tsp panchphoron
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp mustard oil 

Procedure:
Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder over prawns and keep aside for 1/2 hour.
Cut the coconut from top and preserve it to be used as a lid. Cut little from bottom too so that the coconut can be made to stand.

Vishal flaunting his knife skills

Drain the coconut water and reserve. Scoop out the soft kernel and keep aside.

Grind together onion, garlic, ginger, green chilly, poppy seeds and cashews to a fine paste and keep aside. 
Heat mustard oil in a deep pan/kadai and let it reach its burning point. Switch off the heat and allow to cool. 
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Heat oil again and add panchphoron. As it splutters, add the ground paste. Let it cook on medium heat till the paste leaves oil on its sides.
Grind the coconut kernel that was obtained from the coconut and add to the pan.
Add sugar and salt. 
Add 1/2 of the coconut water and let it boil. 
Gently lower the prawns and allow to cook for a minute. 
(My gravy had gone too thin for my liking so I scooped the prawns and let the gravy thicken on high flame.)
Transfer the prawns and the gravy into the coconut shell.

Cover with the lid and seal with some atta dough.

Put the sealed coconut in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 mins.
Alternately, you may cook in the pressure cooker by putting the sealed coconut shell in it and filling it with water reaching halfway. Close lid and cook for 3 whistles and then wait for the vapour to dissipate naturally.
Scoop out the prawns and enjoy with a bowl of hot boiled rice.

Happy Daab Chingri enjoying
Amrita