Fragrant Prawn Curry with red and green masalas

Ingredients:1/2 kg fresh peeled prawnsMASALA ONE: 1 tsp cumin garlic masala paste (made by grinding dry roasted cumin with fresh cloves of garlic in equal proportions)MASALA TWO: 2-3 tsp Hara masala paste (green masala made from 6-7 green chillis and  1 bunch coriander ground together)12-15 curry leaves (curry patta)MASALA THREE: 4 tsp Lal masala paste (red masala made by soaking 2-4 long dried chillis in vinegar for about 2 hours then grinding together with 2 tsb vinegar, 2 tsb bhuna chana ( roasted  chickpeas, the one you can snack on with drinks etc), 1 tsb chopped garlic, 2 tab chopped onion, salt to taste, 4 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 1 tsb of broken up cinnamon and a small piece of javitri (this is the dried skin of the nutmeg nut. Can buy in all Indian /Paki stores). Grind and keep leftovers in the fridge, I will give you a great fish recipe in the future which uses this masala! - substitution could be red chilli powder and coriander powder, not as good but can do in a hurry!)1/4 tsb of turmeric2 cups of coconut milk1-2 tsb of rice flour (make a paste with water and add in the end to thicken)1/2 cups or more of Tamarind juice/paste (imli ka panni)Cooking oilsalt to tastered or green fresh chillis, mint and coriander leaves to garnishServes 3-4 and take up to 45 minutes to prepare excluding preparation of various masalas

This recipe is borrowed from one of my mom's friends who has Cochin roots (thats in Kerala, west coast of India). I think this recipe has been played around with and given a Pakistani twist. I should mention that it includes a Red masala (Lal masala) that is very typical of the region and I have given my version of the masala below as well as a quick substitution. This recipe also includes a cumin/garlic paste - I will explain how to make it below.The interesting part about this recipe is the inclusion of both red and green masala and I think that gives this curry a very distinct colour as well as flavour. This is a fairly simple recipe however  it's the making the separate masalas that is time consuming! But if you have it ready earlier, its all quick to pull together. Don't let the huge ingredient  list of the Lal masala put you off, it's simpler than it sounds.METHOD:1.  Add curry leaves to hot oil in a saucepan and allow to splutter.2. Then add Masala pastes  ONE, TWO and THREE and "bhuno" (cook until fragrant and the oil comes up). Add a little water as it cooks. Keep cooking until the raw smell disappears and then add the turmeric and salt to taste.3. When the masala is cooked, add the prawns and cook for a minute or two - no more than that as you don't want them to overcook. Now add the coconut milk and cook a bit longer on very low heat after which add the tamarind juice/paste. Do not cover the saucepan after adding the coconut milk because if this is done quickly after adding the milk, it can curdle.4. To thicken the gravy, add the rice flour and water paste and see how it thickens. Garnish with chilli, mint and coriander.5. Serve with my cinnamon, coconut milk and lemon rice.