Air fryer recipe · Snacks
Prawn Koliwada
The bright-red Mumbai dockside prawn fritter, crisp and tangy without the deep-fry grease.
- 14 minTotal time
- 195°CAir fryer
- 3Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 165kcal
- 20.3 gprotein
- 16.8 gcarbs
- 2.0 gfat
- 2.7 gfibre
Per serving, about 3 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Medium prawns, peeled20 pieces
- Gram flour (besan)1/3 cup
- Rice flour2 tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder1.5 tbsp
- Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste1 tbsp
- Lemon juice1 tbsp
Method
Marinate the prawns
Toss the cleaned prawns with the ginger-garlic-chilli paste, half the chilli powder, lemon juice and salt. Let them sit for fifteen minutes so they take on the tangy koliwada flavour before coating.
Make the coating
Mix the gram flour, rice flour and the rest of the chilli powder in a bowl. The rice flour is the key here, as it is what gives the koliwada its extra-crackly, crunchy crust.
Coat each prawn
Sprinkle a little water over the marinated prawns, then toss them through the flour mix so a thick red coating sticks. Press it on gently so the powder locks onto every prawn and does not shake loose.
Spray with oil
Lay the prawns in a single layer and mist them well with oil on both sides. A thorough, even spray gives them the golden, glossy look of the deep-fried original without the extra oil.
Air-fry the prawns
Air-fry at 195C for 12 min, flipping at the halfway point. The prawns are done when they turn opaque and curl up firm. Serve the scarlet, crunchy prawns hot with raw onion and a lime wedge.
