Prawn Ghee Roast in Kundapura

Most of my memories of places are tangled with memories of some lip smacking food, so much so, that if I think of a place, the image of food swims tantalizingly before my eyes. So it is with Kundapura. And Prawn ghee roast. The beautiful land of Kundapura is an hour away from Manipal by bus.  I was on my way to the Namma Bhoomi campus close to Kundapura town. It is a residential school for children and it is uniquely designed with local resources and more importantly, by asking the children what they want the space to look like. The children here elect their own Makkala Panchayat and have a say in all matters. I think that’s a wonderful step towards making them responsible without too much steering from grown ups.

I reach Kundapura, a withered shell of what I had once been, wilting in the coastal sun and heat, glad to be out of the crowded bus.  I ask a passer-by the way to Shetty Lunch home and he shows me the way. It is close to the bus stop. It is a little after 2 PM, so it isn’t as crowded as I expect it to be. I have only one thing on my mind – Prawn ghee roast. Indeed, I fantasized about it on the way here! And that is what I order. This is not a meal, but the satisfying of a craving. Food for the tastebuds and not for the stomach. The Ghee roast is an extravagance, but you only live once!  The waiter asks me twice if I would like rice or roti to go with it. I shake my head, only ghee roast please. I probably had a maniacal gleam in my eye. I had to wait an hour because it wasn’t ready, but wait I did! I read a book in the meanwhile.

I feel the pure joy of the hedonist as I bite into the succulent prawns. The addictive creamy taste of ghee that slightly offsets the heat of the chillies, it is the perfect gastronomic delight that deserves its hype. Yes, there is guilt- I have no business spending a lot of money on a rather measly dish, but I have no regrets. I die, content.

This is my surmise of what the ingredients could be. A lot of recipes seem to add tomatoes, ginger and onion which my tastebuds tell me are not authentic. Could somebody give me the original recipe?

I think this is a simple but powerful masala made only of Byadagi chillies, garlic, coriander and jeera seeds, Methi, Pepper, tamarind and the star ingredient – ghee. The chillies and the ghee are the most important. The dish is slow cooked to bring the flavours together. Do try it and tell me if you like the taste J

Byadgi is a variety of chilli unique to Karnataka. It is named after a town Byadgi in Haveri district. It has a beautiful deep red color and gives curries that extra pop when used. It is also delicious and has a mild taste. Dried Byadagi chillies are a staple for Konkanis, used a lot in tempering and coconut based gravies. The smell of chillies being dry roasted is heavenly!