A spot of Indian alchemy

SO HERE I am indulging in a spot of gastronomic alchemy again, putting together an experimental spicy prawn stir-fry.

Actually, this dish is such a quick one to do, we’re literally dining within minutes of starting it – the rice and naan bread accompaniments are the longest things to cook.

What I really love, though, is the mixing up of the various spices – turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander all mixed up with the raw prawns. The aromas are simply marvellous and demonstrate the genius of Indian cuisine in putting together these amazing blends.

I heat up a spoonful of groundnut oil in my trusty wok, and when it’s smoking-hot, I toss in some mustard and cumin seeds and a splodge of garlic purée and cook until the seeds start popping – about 1 minute in total.

I then drop in my spiced prawns and cook them until they turn bright pink – about 2 minutes in total!

And there I am, ready to serve up. This particular combination of spices gives the meal a delightfully sour edge to the heat.

My only criticism of my effort is in the boiled rice, which I feel is a little bland; a crisp, green salad I think would have gone better with these prawns. But still, no worries, we both manage to clean our plates, and we finish off the meal with a little French Brie afterwards.

Yes, on the whole, quite nice!