Pepper Prawns (Shrimp) Kerala Style

Black Pepper is a spice known for its medicinal properties, apart from its uses in food as a cooking spice. I remember my mom giving us "Miryacho Kasaay", a spicy concoction made of pepper, onions and milk, whenever we developed a cold. This tiny seed has the spice potential of an atom bomb and was used as currency in ancient times (aptly referred to as Black Gold).Click here to read more about this interesting spice and its nutritional benefits.
Pepper adds a different bite to the food when compared to chilli spice. I love food made of pepper,be it pepper chicken, pepper fish or veggies (particularly like gerkins (tendli) made in a pepper sauce). The recipe I have for you today has a Kerala influence to it and was first made by a friend who hails from there. Use coconut oil to get the authentic flavor and aroma but you can always use any other oil as a substitute

Ingredients
Large Prawns: 1 lb
Onions: 2 Large, thinly sliced
Pepper: 2 tbsp
Garlic: 4 cloves finely chopped
Ginger: 1 inch piece julienned
Green chillies: 2
Curry Leaves: 12-15 leaves
Turmeric Powder: 1.5 tsp
Red Pepper/ Chilli Powder: 2 tsp
Coconut Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Kitchen Items Required
A wide mouthed vessel or pan to cook and a spatula
A bowl for marination

Method

1)Clean and de-vein the prawns. I prefer retaining the shells, but you can remove the shells as well, if you so desire.
2)In a bowl, mix all the powders (pepper, chilli and turmeric) and also some salt and marinate the prawns in the powder mixture. Don't add water. The salt will be able to pull out enough water from the prawns for the marinade. Marinate the prawns for around 2 hours.
3)To a wide bottomed pan, add coconut oil. Add the onions and fry till they become soft.
4)Add the curry leaves, ginger juliennes, garlic and green chillies and continue stirring well till the onion is thoroughly cooked and just starts changing color to golden brown.
5)Now add the prawns with the marinade and cook on high heat for about a minute or two. Add additional spices as required.
6)Add a little bit of vinegar/lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
7)Can be served as a side dish; is also an excellent accompaniment with drinks.
Note:
a)Like fish, prawns cook very fast. If they overcook, they turn hard and rubbery and are not tasty to eat. So make sure you cook them just enough till they start curling up and the shells change color.
b)Don't get scared seeing the quantity of spices. This dish has a lot of onion whose sweetness, absorbs the hotness of the pepper. However if you are reducing the number of onions, reduce the quantity of spice too.