Chettinad Shrimp Masala (Eral Masala)

Prawns have always been my favorite non-veg item. Its unfortunate that never lived near waters to get fresh supply of prawns as often as I would have liked to have. I am talking about childhood days and years spent in India.
Now we get what ever we want, fresh/frozen/cleaned/uncleaned/ bla. However, no matter how many times I try, the taste we get in India is never the same. I wonder if its because of the spice brand we use or the water or the prawns. Anyway, here is the recipe for Chettinad Eral Masala. The taste is as close to as one can expect in an authentic Chettinad kitchen.

Ingredients:
Prawns: 250 grams/ 1/2 lb (cleaned) I used fresh shrimp, you can use frozen also.
Onions: 1 big or 2 small
Ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods: 4 big or 8 small
Tomato: 1 ripe, chopped
Chili Powder: 1 tsp or according to taste
Turmeric powder: 1 pinch
Salt
Coriander leaves: handful
Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp
Cinnamon: 1 inch piece
Curry leaves: 1 string
Oil: 2 tbsp

Marination:
Marinate the shrimp with chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice and ginger&garlic paste and set aside in the fridge for an hour.

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, curry leaves followed by chopped onions. 
• When onions turn translucent, add tomatoes and let the tomatoes cook until they become mushy. 
• Now add the shrimp and saute for a min. You will see the water coming out. Now, cover the dish and let the shrimp cook on medium flame. After cooking, check for salt.
• You can switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

• Do not over cook the shrimp as this would make them hard.
• If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure to defrost it before you marinate it.