
Kadhai Jhinge
A quick stir-fry of king prawns with onion, tomato, ginger and green chilli, finished with lemon. It tastes savoury, warm and lightly spicy, with fresh ginger and coriander.
Whole spices for the oil
7 gAdded to the hot oil at the start (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Heat 40.5 g vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat.
- Add the whole spices for the oil (the masala): 2 g carom seed, 1.7 g crushed coriander seeds and 3 g dried red chilli. Fry for a few seconds.
- Stir in 180 g white onion, finely chopped, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to colour.
- Add 15 g garlic, roughly chopped, and fry for 20 seconds.
- Add 150 g tomato, thinly sliced, and cook for 4 minutes until softened.
- Add 360–450 g king prawns, shelled and deveined, and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add 5 g ginger root cut into matchsticks, 30 g coriander finely chopped, 12 g green chilli slit lengthways and salt to taste.
- Stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and squeeze over 5.1 g lemon juice.
- Serve warm.
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Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Carom seed

Carom seedsUse the same weight; this is the same seed under its other name.
Carom seed pasteUse the same weight; looser and stronger, so add near the end and taste.
Cumin seedUse half the weight, lightly crushed; gives a warm aroma but not carom's thyme-like punch.

Coriander seeds

Ground corianderUse 75% of the weight; stir in along with wet masala or tomato purée rather than frying in hot oil, as the fine powder burns instantly.
Cumin seedUse 50% of the weight for tempering in hot oil. Lacks the floral, sweet citrus flavour of coriander, introducing warm, pungent earthiness instead.
Fennel seedUse 50% of the weight in tempering; provides pleasant aromatic sweetness, though noticeably aniseedy rather than citrusy.

Dried red chilli

Dried kashmiri chilliUse equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.
Red chilli powderUse 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

White onion

Brown onionUse the same weight; it is the closest everyday match, with a slightly deeper sweetness when fried.
Red onionUse the same weight; it is sharper and will tint the dish pink, so cook a little longer for sweetness.
ShallotUse the same weight; it is milder and sweeter, so reduce frying time slightly to avoid burning.

Garlic

Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Tomato

Tomato puréeUse 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.
Plain yogurtUse 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

King prawn

Tiger prawnUse the same weight; split or halve if large. Same sweet shellfish flavour, similar cooking time.
Large prawnUse the same weight; they may need 1 minute less cooking. Slightly less sweet.
Firm white fish filletUse the same weight, cut into chunks and add 2-3 minutes later. Flakes easily and lacks prawn juice.

Fresh ginger

Ginger pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Coriander

Coriander leafUse equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.
MintUse 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Green chilli

Chilli powderUse 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.
Dried red chilliUse 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Lemon juice

Lime juiceUse equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.
Dried mango powderUse 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.
White vinegarUse 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.
Similar dishes

- Same: Karhai Jhinga shares with this dish a quick prawn stir-fry built on onion, tomato, ginger, green chilli, coriander seeds, dried red chilli, ajwain/carom seed, lemon and salt.
- Different: Karhai Jhinga uses ghee or oil, garlic paste, far more tomato, ginger, green chilli and lemon, and adds garam masala and ground fenugreek, while this dish uses vegetable oil and much smaller amounts of tomato, ginger, chilli and lemon.

- Same: Goan Prawn Balchao shares king prawns, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and vegetable oil with this dish.
- Different: Goan Prawn Balchao uses malt vinegar, jaggery, curry leaf, turmeric, cumin, peppercorn and fish sauce, and lacks this dish's tomato, lemon juice, carom seed and fresh coriander.

- Same: Ginger-Marinated King Prawns with Turmeric, Mustard & Chilli shares king prawns, ginger, chilli and salt with this dish.
- Different: It lacks this dish's onion, tomato, garlic, carom seed, coriander seeds, dried red chilli, green chilli, coriander and lemon juice, and instead uses a yoghurt-chickpea-flour marinade with mustard oil, turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder before grilling with smoked butter or ghee.

- Same: Seafood Bhel with Nimbu & Sev shares seafood, fresh ginger, green chilli, coriander and a citrus souring agent with this dish.
- Different: It uses cool squid, cockles and crayfish tossed with lime, chaat masala, sugar, white wine and sev, while this dish stir-fries king prawns with onion, tomato, garlic, carom, coriander seeds and dried red chilli in oil.




























