Daab chingri is a traditional Bengali dish made with prawns (or shrimp) cooked in tender coconut with a few common spices, packed with robust flavour. According to the traditional method, prawns are cooked with grated coconut milk, tender coconut malai, mustard seeds, green chilies, tomatoes, coconut water, onion, ginger, garlic paste and then stuffed and steamed in Daab or tender coconut. Bengalees generally prepare such traditional recipes on any special Bengali occasion, like Poila Boishakh, Jamai Shosthi, in Bengali homes.
Bengali words “daab” means green tender coconut, and “chingri” signifies prawn or shrimp. To make this recipe, today I use golda chingri(Jumbo prawn) also known as scampi. You can also make it with medium tiger prawns or white prawns. However, medium size prawns are best to make daab chingri. Because medium size prawns are easy to stuff in the coconut shell and easy to take out for serving.
As per my Grandmother’s version, in the authentic recipe, marinated prawns are stuffed into the tender coconut, and tender coconut is directly put on the low heat of the earthen oven for slow cooking. Although slow cooking takes a long time. I did not follow the exact process because I have no earthen oven at home. I have to cook it on the gas oven or in the microwave oven, and keep the taste intact.
So, as per my version, I slightly fry the prawns and make the gravy with the required ingredients and cook the prawns in the gravy for a few minutes. Lastly, stuff the prawns in the tender coconut and slow cook in the gas oven. This method comparatively takes less time than the authentic recipe.
Here I also describe both methods to bake the prawns filled tender coconut in the microwave oven and how to prepare in a normal gas oven.
Suggest you enjoy this dish with Basmati rice, Bengali white pulao or, i.e, Bengali white pulao or Bengali Basanti pulao too.
Daab Chingri Recipe | Authentic Bengali prawns recipe cooked in tender coconut
Ingredients
- 500 gms Jumbo Prawns/Golda Chingri
- 3 Tender Coconut/Daab
- 2 cups Coconut Milk( Narkel er Dudh)
- 1/2 cup Coconut Malai (Daab er shans)
- 1 cup of Coconut Water
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1+1/4 tbsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 medium-size Onion Paste
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 1 1/4 tsp garlic paste
- 4 Green chilies
- 1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- Garam masala powder( contains 3 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, I inch cinnamon stick)
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Salt(as required)
Prep time: 30-35 mins
Cook time: 50 mins
Served in: 1 hr 25 mins
Serving – 9 people
Cuisine: Bengali
Course: Main course
Author: Moumita Paul
How to Make Daab Chingri Recipe with step by step pictures
Prepare the tender coconut
1 Take the tender coconuts(daab) and make a bigger round or square-shaped hole on the top of each coconut.
Do it carefully with the help of a sharp knife, and gently take out the cutout portion intact. Keep aside the cutout portion for further use.
2 Now, drain the coconut water into a bowl and keep it aside.
3 Scoop out the malai/soft flesh of the tender coconut with help of a spoon.
Prepare the prawns
1 First, devein the prawns, remove the sharp portion of their heads and eyes with the help of a scissor, and then wash it under running water for 3-4 times.
2 Marinate the prawns with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
3 Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil into the pan, add the marinated prawns into the oil, and shallow fry both sides of the prawns for about a minute.
4 Remove the prawns from the pan and keep it aside.
Prepare the spices
1 Blend grated coconut, malai/soft flesh, mustard seeds, green chilies, tomatoes, and 2 tbsp coconut water, and make a fine, smooth paste with it. Mix with the ginger and garlic paste.
2 Blend 1/2 cup of coconut with little water(3-4 tbsp). Then, soak the blended coconut in hot water for 10 minutes. Strain it, and homemade coconut milk is ready to use.
3 Again, blend the onions(cut into four pieces) to make a smooth paste.
Prepare the gravy:
1 Heat the same pan(used to fry prawns), add 1 more tbsp of mustard oil in it.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion paste into the oil and immediately place a cover over the pan, as it will start spluttering, and that can cause a burn.
Fry the onion paste until the raw onion smell goes off, and it will start to release oil.
The onion paste will get a nice golden brown colour as shown in the pic.
2 Then add the masala paste in the pan, and mix it well.
Add red chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/2 tsp sugar into it.
Keep stirring till the raw smell of the spices goes off and it starts to release oil from its side.
Add 2 cups of coconut milk and salt. Let the gravy boil, then add the fried prawns to the gravy and cover the pan with a lid.
3 After 2-3 minutes, add 2 cups of coconut milk and bring it to a boil for about 2 more minutes.
Then add the garam masala powder into it, mix it well, and bring it to a boil for 2 minutes.
And lastly, add 1 tbsp of mustard oil, mix it well, and cover the lid. Then immediately turn off the heat.
How to stuff the prawns in coconut
1 Gently stuff 2-3 golda chingri in each tender coconut with sufficient gravy.
2. Seal the coconut’s mouth with the cutout. This method prevents the vapour from coming out while cooking.
Prepare Daab chingris in microwave oven
1. Preheat the microwave at 180-degree degrees for 20 minutes in convection mode.
2. Stuff the prawns in tender coconut and place it in the microwave for 30 minutes in the same mode.
3. After 30 minutes, daab chingri will be ready to eat. Serve with piping-hot steamed rice.
How to prepare daab chingri in gas oven
1. Fill a big vessel with half of the water and put it on the medium heat of your gas oven.
2. Then place the coconut into the water of the vessel.
3. Cover the vessel with a tight lid.
4. After 10 minutes of cooking on medium heat, slow down the heat and let it cook for 20 more minutes on a low flame.
5. After a complete 30 minutes of steaming, your daab chingri is ready to serve.
Tips
- If you have a wide-mouth pressure cooker, you can steam this chingri stuffed daab in a pressure cooker too. On the low flame and one whistle is enough for it. But wait till the pressure release the pressure automatically.
- Here I have used jumbo prawns/galda chingri, you can use any size of prawns or chingri as per your choice.
- Here I have used 3 tbsp mustard oil for cooking, as the coconut milk and grated coconut will release some coconut oil.
- I must recommend this to all of my Bengali friends, enjoy this daab chingri with piping hot steamed rice and especially with a slice of Gondhoraj lebu( a lemon, which is famous among Bengalis for its wonderful aroma).
Based on 9 Review(s)
Tried.. came out Good.. kids loved it. Thank you for a real good recipe.
Thank you so much Nabanita