Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast

Some recipes are not written down — they live in memory. This Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast is one such heirloom recipe, passed down through generations.

It’s a beautiful example of how our grandmothers made the most of what they had. Salted dried prawns, preserved for months, were treasured for their intense flavour. When roasted slowly with potatoes, they transform into something truly special — salty, spicy, crisp, and deeply satisfying.

There is no fancy technique here, only homestyle wisdom: crush the ginger and garlic by hand, fry the potatoes till golden, let the curry leaves crackle in hot oil, and roast everything on a low flame till the aromas fill the kitchen.

This is not restaurant food. This is heirloom food — the kind that tastes like home, and makes a simple plate of rasam rice or curd rice feel like a feast.

A humble, homestyle classic that deserves to be remembered and cooked again.

Recipe Video from Vidyascooking Youtube Channel 🙂 

Potato & Salted Dried Prawns Roast

1 Medium Potato Cubed 

200 Grams Dried Salted Prawns 

1/2 Onion Finely Chopped 

2 Inch Ginger Crushed 

8 Cloves Garlic Crushed 

3 Sprigs Curry Leaves 

1/2 Lime 

1 Tsp Chilli Powder 

1 Tsp  Aachi Kuzhambu Milagai 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder 

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida 

4 Tbsp Oil 

Salt if needed 

3 Sprigs Coriander Leaves 

Prep:

1. Salted Prawns:

Soak the salted prawns in room temperature water for 15 minutes. Once the prawns have softened a bit, rinse twice and soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Rinse the prawns twice again, drain and reserve.

2. Potato:

Peel and wash the potato. Chop into bite-size cubes and place in water to avoid discoloration.

3. Onion, Ginger & Garlic:

Peel and rinse the onion, finely chop and reserve.

Peel 10 pods of garlic and 2 inch ginger, rinse twice. Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar or pulse in a mixer to form a coarse paste.

4. Curry Leaves & Lime:

Wash curry leaves, separate and reserve. Wash the lime, chop in half and reserve.

5. Marination:

Place the prawns in a mixing bowl. Add half the amount of crushed garlic and ginger, chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and half lime juice. Mix well and allow the prawns to marinate for 15 minutes.

Method:

Heat a wok on medium flame with 2 to 3 tbsp oil. Add curry leaves and allow to splutter. Next, add finely chopped onion and remaining ginger and garlic paste. Fry till onion turns transparent.

Drain and add cubed potatoes. Fry on low flame for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, stir well, cover and cook till tender.

Add the marinated prawns, stir and fry. Cover and allow most of the moisture to evaporate.

Fry the prawns till oil separates. Add salt only if needed. Add lime juice, garnish with chopped coriander and dish out to a serving plate.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Tips to Follow:
1. Control the Salt: Salted dried prawns are already very salty. Always soak and rinse at least 3-4 times, and add extra salt only at the very end, if needed.

2. Don't Skip the Double Soak: First soak in room-temp water to soften, second soak in warm water to remove excess salt and sand.

3. Potato Trick: Keep cut potatoes soaked in water till you use them - this prevents blackening and removes extra starch, so they fry crisp.

4. Coarse Paste is Best: Don't make a fine paste of ginger-garlic. A coarse, hand-crushed paste gives a much better homestyle flavour and texture.

5. Low Flame Roast: Always fry the prawns on low to medium flame. High flame will burn the masala before the prawns get crisp and oil separates.

6. Don't Add Too Much Water: Just 1/4 cup is enough for the potatoes. This is a dry roast, not a curry - let the moisture evaporate fully.

7. Lime at Two Stages: A little lime during marination cuts the strong smell, and a final squeeze at the end brightens the whole dish.

This Kambi kolam is more than decoration. It’s a daily ritual of welcome, patience, and positivity — inviting prosperity and good energy into the home. The graceful loops that weave around each dot without breaking symbolize continuity and togetherness.