Prawn Malai Curry

To prepare fresh garam masala, in a coffee grinder, grind cardamom seeds, 3 whole cloves, and 3 cinnamon sticks to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 4 whole cloves, 4 cardamom pods, and 2 sticks of cinnamon and fry for a few seconds (take care as cloves tend to pop out of the pan). Stir in grated onion and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until liquid dries and onion no longer smells raw, about 5 minutes. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in turmeric and cayenne pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in water, cover the pan, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Pour in coconut milk and stir well. When mixture is just below boiling, stir in prawns. Sprinkle mixture with almost all of the fresh garam masala powder, reserving a pinch to use as a garnish. Gently stir to combine. Do not cover the pan at this stage, as coconut milk will curdle.

As soon as prawns are pink and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, add ghee. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle reserved garam masala over the dish and serve.