Prawn Karahi - Fragrant prawn stir fry

Ingredients:1/2 kg shelled king prawns1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste1 finely chopped medium onion3 large chopped tomatoes1/2 tsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds, taste a bit like thyme and are sold in Indian shops- substitute with 1/2 tsp of aniseed or even a sprinkling of thyme!)2 tsp of dhania mirchi (a mixture of pounded 8 dried red chillis and 2 tbsp pounded dry roasted coriander seeds and kept in a dry air tight bottle for future use, you'll be seeing me use it often!)1 tsb powdered all spice1 tsp dried kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves, you can find this in most Indian shops, don't worry if you can't, can omit)1 tsp saltsqueeze of half a lemonVegetable oil for cooking - sunflower or even olive will docoriander leaves and mint leaves to garnishServes about 2-3 people accompanied with rice. Takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare

You can't beat the seaside dhaba's in Karachi - they cook up the best prawn karahi ever - 'ocean-fresh' stir fried prawns with a generous handful of sunny tomatoes thrown into a huge wok style 'karahi', followed by pungent ginger and garlic and a pinch or two of fragrant special spices - exuding an aroma of the sea and rays of sunshine. With the kick of hot chili and a sprinkling of coriander leaves,  this is served with piping hot soft yet crunchy naans from the tandoor. I remember waiting with a grumbling tummy, breathing in the humid sea breeze....Sitting on a charpai, cross legged, and once it arrived we'd (reluctantly!) share from one large stainless steel platter.... which is the traditional way of eating in Pakistan,.....Every morsel was swallowed down with a sip of ice cold Coke drawn from a plastic straw in a thick glass soft drink bottle, bracing the sting of the bubbles against the heat of the chilli - nothing feels better!Here is my humble quick version and the recipe is fairly similar to the one I remember eating back in Karachi while growing up, every bite releases the many fragrant spices, whole and crushed used in this recipe - I think it's best consumed on a cold, dreary day served with some freshly cooked steaming basmati or even some crusty baguette...it might just bring in some sunshine, so be prepared! Method:1. Heat some vegetable or olive oil in a shallow stir fry pan or a wok on medium heat and fry onions till light brown and add ginger/garlic and fry until everything is about the same colour and the raw smell or garlic disappears.2. Add the ground 'dhania mirchi' and ajwain seeds and fry a bit and keep stirring away - (this way the spices won't burn). Add the chopped tomatoes and 'bhuno' (fry) well. Now add a splash of water if the tomatoes look like they are a bit dry and turn heat low and keep stirring every now and then until the oil rises to the top (see pictures above). The tomatoes should be nice and soft and cooked down.3. Now add the prawns until they are cooked - this shouldnt take more than 2-3 minutes and do not overcook as this will result in tough prawns!4. Sprinkle the all spice, salt, kasoori methi and lemon juice and stir. Garnish with finely chopped coriander and mint leaves. Now savour the dhaba flavour!