"Orange"...it's such a gorgeous color, isn't it?? Or is it just me?
Look at this.. How could one not feel happy looking at this??
It's been a wonderful week for us here as the Singh Casa. I finally took the break I so longed for, went far away from the madding crowd and fell right into the verdant green lap of nature!
Oh yes, what an amazing trip it was. Met my sister and brother in law after a year, and did what we do best..have fun and relax in the wild.
It started bang on with an adventure. Our can met with an accident( we were fine, thankfully), but the cab broke down. What ensued was sheer pandemonium at first, but then being stranded in the mid of nowhere with just a little "dhabba" or road-side eatery, in the wee hours of the morning has its own charm.
It started bang on with an adventure. Our can met with an accident( we were fine, thankfully), but the cab broke down. What ensued was sheer pandemonium at first, but then being stranded in the mid of nowhere with just a little "dhabba" or road-side eatery, in the wee hours of the morning has its own charm.
Here's a vignette of how I idled my time away while waiting for our alternate mode of transport! And that's me.. without my contacts, all bleary eyed, drinking what I can say was one of the best cups(err glass) of tea, ever.
Ahh.I live for the small pleasures of life. The "joy of living" as I call it on my FB page ;)
Have you been on safaris??
No?? Well then you must!! It's such a novel experience, one that will amaze you. The joy of seeing all things green around you, to hear the cries and calls of the wild, to go on walkabouts in the forest terrain, hike to see that extraordinary sunrise and of course, nothing quite like seeing a tigress cross your way, a pregnant one at that!!
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Tiger pic courtesy: Prabhanjan Behera, my super talented, wild-life crazy BIL.
It was everything my starved senses longed for..Pench National Reserve was everything I needed, and so much more. From being cradled in the lap of nature, to getting some of the best wild animal shots, from splish splashing in the resort pool with baby D to gorging on the amazing food..from the walkabout around the jungle to learning about bird spotting, this trip was a sheer joy. Add to that the joy of seeing your baby glued to your sister, a fabulous road trip and the fun of candid street photography, it was perfect.
So given that I was back to being happy and rested, I wanted to make something special for my sister and BIL.
"Chicken...? Yes, but I already made that.
Grilled Basa...Barracuda??? Hmm... may be.
Stuffed Mushrooms?? Veg?? Nope!
Biriyani...Mutton... ??? Errr...
.........
...........
.......................
Prawns ??
Oh yes!!!
Please!!!!!!!!!"
So, finally after getting the yes from them, I decided to make this simple, quick and delicious grilled prawns. There is nothing quite better than this simple grilled prawns with the freshness of orange juice and of course cilantro. To make things even better, I added some chopped roasted garlic to it.
So, finally after getting the yes from them, I decided to make this simple, quick and delicious grilled prawns. There is nothing quite better than this simple grilled prawns with the freshness of orange juice and of course cilantro. To make things even better, I added some chopped roasted garlic to it.
Result??
Grilled to perfection and dipped in simply the best garlic cilantro orange sauce ever. This was sheer party for the senses...It smelt awesome..looked amazing (right?) and tasted out of this world!
This is the perfect party food, weekend food, food to eat on while you are cheering your favourite team for the Cricket WorldCup ...heck, even food for brunch if you are anything like us.
As a simple variation, you can leave out the orange juice, and use the roasted garlic grilled prawns to add to a quick plate of spaghetti with cherry tomatoes..makes a complete meal, and quite a delicious one at that!!
RECIPE:
INGREDIENTS
- 15 pieces uncooked prawns
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Roasted garlic-cilantro orange sauce:
- 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 garlic, top trimmed off
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, juice of (more if desired)
- 1 tbsp red chillie flakes (more if desired)
- just a dash of honey (1/2 teaspoon)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
- Really heat up a cast iron skillet.
- Peel, devein and rinse the prawns or your choice of shrimp. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the prawns in the fridge until ready to grill.
- Trim the top of the garlic head off, but leave the garlic intact. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast the garlic in the 180 C heated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly tender and fragrant. When ready, remove from the oven. Let cool briefly. Peel and crush or chop the roasted garlic as finely as possible.
- Now prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic with the remaining sauce ingredients of cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil and sriracha sauce, honey and chilli flakes. Whisk together and set aside.
- When ready, lightly oil and heat a cast-iron grill or griddle to medium-high. Dress the prawns with a little olive oil and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. You want to achieve some char, but be careful not to overcook the prawns.
- Remove the prawns from the grill to a bowl and coat well with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Serve with pasta and a green salad for dinner; or simply as a party appetizer. Enjoy!
Love,
S :)