Prawn Powder is a traditional Anglo-Indian recipe from the 1860s for a classic condiment or flavouring of powdered dried prawns (shrimp) blended with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika with nutmeg. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Anglo-Indian version of: Prawn Powder.
Take a seer of dry prawns; wash them well, dry over the fire until crisp, pound fine, with some red
pepper and nutmeg, pass through a sieve, and bottle for use. A tspful spread over bread and
butter is considered a relish.
Modern Redaction
This may seem like a rather odd recipe to make, but crawfish (crayfish) or prawn powder is a very important African ingredient. It's not really available in South Africa, through you can try dried prawns. So I decided to try this recipe to see if it was acceptable to my wife. I substituted some of the chilli powder with smoked paprika to give the smoky flavour that's so important in West African cookery... and it was a hit! Blended with butter it also really does make an excellent, savoury, breakfast spread.
Place a non-stick frying pan over mediu heat. Add the dried prawns (shrimp) and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until aromatic and nicely toasted on both sides.
Turn onto a plate and allow to cool completely. Place in a mortar and pound to a fine powder (do not do this in a spice grinder or blender as all you will get is a fuzzy fluff). Turn into a bowl and mix with the spices.
This can be stored in a dark cupboard in an air-tight jar and will keep for several weeks.
To make the butter blend 2 tbsp of the prawn mixture with 50g softened butter. Shape into a patty and chill in the refrigerator to harden. Use as a spread for toast. This is also great as a garnish for seafood and fish dishes.
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