Fresh turmeric and peppercorn curry with prawns

By Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

Cucumber and Ginger Relish

• Rice vinegar (or other white vinegar): 125ml / 4fl oz
• Caster sugar: 80g / 2¾oz
• Cucumber: ½, quartered lengthways, deseeded and thinly sliced (200g / 7oz)
• Fresh root ginger: 20g / ¾oz, peeled and julienned
• Red chilli (or 2 bird’s-eye chillies): 1, halved, deseeded, and thinly sliced lengthways
• Fresh coriander: 10g / ⅓oz, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly torn
• Lime: 1, cut into wedges, to serve
• Salt: pinch

Spice Paste

• Dried red chillies: 5g / ⅛oz (or more, if you like)
• Whole white peppercorns: ½ tsp, toasted and coarsely ground
• Coriander seeds: 2 tsp, toasted and coarsely ground
• Shallots: 1–2, roughly chopped (60g / 2¼oz)
• Garlic cloves: 4, roughly chopped
• Coriander stems: 20g / ¾oz, roughly chopped
• Fresh turmeric: 10g / ⅓oz, peeled and roughly chopped
• Coconut cream: 1 tbsp

Curry

• Coconut cream: 145ml / 5fl oz
• Coconut milk: 400ml tin
• Palm sugar (or light soft brown sugar): 25g / 1oz, roughly chopped
• Fish sauce: 20ml / 1¼ tbsp
• Green beans: 500g / 1lb 2oz, cut into 3cm / 1¼in lengths
• Peeled raw prawns: 500g / 1lb 2oz

To Serve

• Steamed jasmine rice

Method

Cucumber and Ginger Relish

1. Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan, combine the rice vinegar, caster sugar, 60ml (4 tbsp) of water, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
2. Heat Mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 1 minute, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has fully dissolved.
3. Cool and Add Vegetables: Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled, stir in the cucumber, ginger, chilli, and coriander stems.
4. Store: Transfer the relish to a sealed container and refrigerate.

Spice Paste

1. Soak Chillies: Place the dried chillies in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for a few minutes.
2. Prepare Ingredients: In the small bowl of a food processor, combine the ground white peppercorns, coriander seeds, shallots, garlic, coriander stems, turmeric, coconut cream, the soaked chillies, and 1 tablespoon of the chilli-soaking liquid.
3. Blend: Blend the mixture until it forms a smooth purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Curry

1. Heat Coconut Cream: In a medium saucepan, add 145ml (5fl oz) of coconut cream and heat over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer.
2. Add Spice Paste: Stir in the spice paste and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and becomes clotted and oily.
3. Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add the coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt to the saucepan. Stir gently to combine, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Cook Green Beans and Prawns: Add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Then, add the peeled raw prawns and cook for an additional 3–5 minutes, or until the prawns are just cooked through.
5. Serve: Serve the curry hot with steamed jasmine rice.