Dry Baby Shrimp Idli Powder,
I planned to prepare a traditional dish, that would remind me of my Grandma’s time. Some of the dishes are slowly becoming outdated or getting repackaged in departmental stores making its preparation less frequent in household. Dry baby prawn idli powder is one such dish. I still remember helping grandma and aunties with picking the impurities from the dry prawns – that means helping as well as troubling them, sometimes even tasting the raw dry prawns..we had such fun as cousins and kids together. Have always felt that those moments cannot be brought back but today, when Sarah was helping me pick up the impurities(you know how it works), I was content that I’m recreating the same moments for her that would be cherished in future.
Cleaning, Dry roasting and Grinding are three important steps in making this dry shrimp powder. It nutritious and comes handy when we are looking for a quick breakfast. It tastes best when mixed with sesame oil or coconut oil.
Click here for short video on cleaning process: (all impurities like dry fishes, stones, sea sands are removed in the process and then the dry baby shrimps are sundried for 20-30 minutes)
Ingredients:
2 Cup Dry baby shrimp(cleaned )
2 tblspn Channa dhal
2 tblspn Urad dhal
1 tblspn pepper corns
1 tblspn cummin seeds
2 sprig curry leaves
5-6 garlic pods
6 dry red chillies
1/2 tspn hing
salt to taste
Method:
1. Dry roast the baby shrimp in low flame until it becomes crispy without change of colour – When we take a few in hand and press between fingers, it has to break easily. Keep aside in a bowl.
2. Channa dal, urad dal has to be roasted until they turn colour, then add pepper corns, cummin seeds, garlic pods, curry leaves and saute for another 2-3 minutes until all the moisture from the curry leaves and garlic pods are absorbed. Transfer it to the same bowl where the dry baby shrimp is kept.
3. Dry Roast the Red chillies for a minute or so. Transfer it to the same bowl.
4. Then finally add the hing & salt to the hot ingredients.
5. Let the ingredients cool off. Finally grind them all into a powder(not too coarse not too fine).
6. Mix with sesame oil or coconut oil. Serves as an excellent side for Idli and Dosa.
Happy Cooking!
Sarah's Kitchen 