Prawns Koliwada is the true taste of Mumbai's Koliwada heritage, a dish that originated from the Koli community which features crispy prawns deep-fried in a tangy and spicy batter served with green chutney and a squeeze of lemon.
Whip up this simple coastal recipe with fresh or frozen prawns and everyday pantry spices, all ready in under an hour. Feel free to skip ingredients like carom seeds, mango powder or gram flour if you don't have them and they'll still turn out to be delicious.
The two-step marination process ensures maximum flavor. Setting the marinade aside for a longer time will not only enhance the flavor but will also prevent the batter from splitting while deep frying.
You can pop these just the way they are or serve it with mint or cilantro chutney, sliced onion rings or a sprinkle of cilantro or chaat masala. get creative!
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow detailed instructions below with pictures or jump to recipe card.
Step 1: Pat the prawns dry with a paper towel to release moisture and add lime juice, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt in a bowl. Mix it well and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Add chili powder, cumin powder, mango powder, carom seeds, gram flour and rice flour along with little water to the prawns and mix well to form a thick batter. set aside for another 20 minutes to marinate.
Step 3: Heat oil in a deep pan or Kadai, anywhere from medium to high. Add around 6 to 10 prawns per batch and cook until crispy. Usually 2-4 minutes per batch.
Step 4: Remove the prawns and place it on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. You can also sprinkle some chaat masala on the prawns during this time.
Your Prawn Koliwada is now ready to be served. Plate it hot with sliced onions, garnish of cilantro and a vibrant green chutney dip.
Top Tip
- Pat dry the prawns before marinating.
- Add Rice flour for crispiness.
- Replace chili powder with Kashmiri Red chili powder for a natural vibrant color and flavor.
- Do not add too much water to the batter as it may separate while deep frying.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying, test it by adding a bit of batter and if it sizzles then you are good to go.
- Don't overcrowd the pan or kadai.
- Omit ingredients like carom seeds, mango powder or gram flour if not available.
Recipe
Prawns Koliwada
Ingredients
- 400 grams Prawns cleaned and deveined
- 2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala optional
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds) optional
- 3 tablespoon gram flour optional
- 2 tablespoon rice flour or corn flour
- water as needed
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix prawns, lime juice, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt in a bowl and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, cumin powder, chaat masala, carom seeds, gram flour and rice flour along with little water to the prawns and mix well. set aside for another 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep pan or Kadai and add the prawns and cook until crispy. Usually 2-4 minutes per batch.
- Remove the prawns and drain on a paper towel.
- Optional: Serve with cilantro or mint chutney, sliced onions and lime wedges.
Notes
- Rice flour for crispiness
- Replace chili powder with Kashmiri Red chili powder for a natural vibrant color and flavor
- Ensure oil is hot: drop a bit of batter into the oil, it should sizzle immediately
- Don't overcrowd the pan
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