Nutritionist shares kanthari prawns nirvana recipe: a Kerala comfort dish with a serious kick of heat

Rich in protein and with the fiery kick of kanthari chillies, Aathira Sethumadhavan's recipe is the dish to try if you are craving some spicy indulgence.

Kerala cuisine is rich in its seafood offerings and is known for its high spice levels. If you are in search of a prawn dish that falls into this category, certified nutritionist and digital content creator Aathira Sethumadhavan has just the recipe for you.

Taking to Instagram on October 20, Aathira shared the step-by-step preparation of kanthari prawns nirvana, a dish that she described as a cross between “the fiery kanthari gravy and the creamy prawn nirvana.”

“Fiery, fragrant and finished with creamy coconut milk! This Kanthari prawns nirvana is Kerala comfort with a serious kick of heat,” wrote the nutritionist in her caption. The recipe she shares is for two servings of approximately 250 grams each.

Each serving has just 340 calories along with 33 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates and 17 grams of fat. The detailed steps to make the dish are presented as follows.

Ingredients for kanthari prawns nirvana

For the marinade


• Prawns, cleaned and deveined (300g) – or use paneer for a veg version

• 10–15 kanthari (bird’s eye) chillies (5g) – adjust to your spice level

• A handful of curry leaves (5g)

• ¼ cup coriander leaves (10g)

• 1 inch ginger (10g)

• 6 garlic cloves (18g)

• 6 shallots (60g)

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder (2g)

• 1 tsp chilli powder (2.5g)

• ½ tsp garam masala (1g)

• Salt, to taste

• 1 tbsp vinegar (15ml)

• ½ tsp sugar (2g)

• 1 tsp coconut oil (5g)

For the nirvana


• 1 tsp ghee (5g)

• Salt and ½ tsp sugar, to taste (2g)

• ½ cup thick coconut milk (100ml)

• A few curry leaves

Method of preparation

1. Blend kanthari chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, shallots, all the spice powders, salt, vinegar, sugar and coconut oil into a paste.
2. Marinate the prawns in this paste for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add the prawns and cook until the oil separates.
4. Season with salt and sugar.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, add curry leaves and let it come together.
6. The kanthari prawns nirvana is ready. Serve and enjoy.

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