Prawn Jalfrazie

Jalfrazie is a sautéd dish, which can be prepared with meat, poultry, sea food etc.

The word “Jalfrazie” came from 2 words: “Jal” meaning “spicy or pungent” and “Frazie” meaning “Fried”. As in the case of almost all of our cuisine, which started out as insipid concoctions, in the days of the British Raj, the original “Jal Frezie” was bland and tasteless. The Colonial servants would fry up the leftover Christmas Turkey and Chicken Roasts with some pepper, chillies, etc., for Breakfast the next day. Over the years many more ingredients and spices were added to this dish to make it as spicy and delicious as it is today and it has become synonymous with the cuisine of West Bengal. Here is an easy recipe for Prawn Jalfrazie

Serves 6  

Preparation Time 1 hour

Ingredients

500 grams cleaned and de-veined prawns

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 green chillies slit

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon ginger paste

3 tomatoes chopped

2 onions sliced finely

1 teaspoon spice powder or garam masala powder

1 teaspoon pepper powder

3 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a suitable pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the prawns and stir fry for a few minutes till they change colour. Now add all the other ingredients and a little water and stir well. Simmer on low heat till the prawns are cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve with rice, chapattis or bread.