Flat beans-shrimp curry : Eral avarakai masala

I would to start this post with a thank you note. I am extremely happy about the response for my post on gestational diabetes. So THANK YOU readers for visiting my blog and sharing your experiences through emails and calls. I am overwhelmed and humbled by your kindness.

Coming to today’s recipe, its a simple shrimp/prawn curry made with flat beans called avarakkai in Tamil. This is my mother-in-laws recipe and I have started to cook this often as we get both veggies and non-vegetarian dish in one meal. I love veggies and my husband is a big sucker for anything that is not vegetarian. Dishes like these saves my place in his heart as it satisfies both are requirements. My mother-in-laws uses vadagam as a base to build on her curry. She also used tons of curry leaves, onions and tomatoes. It’s a very simple dish and can be made in advance. You can replace flat beans (avarakkai) with Indian long radishes or bottle gourd (sorakkai).

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vadagam

10-12 curry leaves

1 large onion – chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoon coriander powder

1 large tomatoes – chopped

250 grams flat beans /  avarakkai – chopped

1 lb / close to 500 grams prawns / shrimp (cleaned and de-veined)

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a large cooking pan. Once hot enough, add vadagam and curry leaves. Let the leaves crisp up.

2. Throw in the onions and little salt ( less than a teaspoon) and let it sweat. Cook covered until they turn brown, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder. Saute till the raw smell disappears, about 5 minutes.

4. If it turn too dry, add little water to avoid burning.

5. Add the tomatoes and mix it with the onions mixture.

6. Add flat beans/ avarakkai and shrimp. Stir to combine.  Add water and cook covered 20 minutes.

7. Add salt to taste.

I served mine with brown rice.

1. This shrimp-flat beans curry can be eaten as a entree in South beach diet phase 1.

2. Shrimp and veggies are a great combination for those on a weightloss program.

3. Also ideal for those who are diabetic/ pre-diabetic.

4. Can be eaten during gestational diabetes