Bahraini Prawn Balls (chebeh Rubyan)

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs uncooked prawns (1 kg)
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon dried limes (loomi) (optional)
• 3/4 cup rice, ground up (i don't think it means rice flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ghee (butter could probably be subbed)
• 1 teaspoon baharat mixed spice (baharat aka middle east mixed spices - the real mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried limes (loomi, or grated rind of 1/2 lemon)
• 1 piece of tamarind the size of a small egg
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ghee (butter could probably be subbed here)
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon bahrat mixed spice (baharat aka middle east mixed spices - the real mix)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon hot chili pepper
• salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• cooked prawns and coriander sprig (to garnish, cilantro)

Recipe

• 1 shell & devein prawns, rinse and dry well.
• 2 mix prawns with coriander leaves and pass through food grinder using fine screen, or process to a paste in food processor.
• 3 combine prawn mixture with turmeric, ground loomi if available and ground rice. add salt and mix well with until thoroughly blended. cover and refrigerate until required.
• 4 in a pan gently fry onion in ghee until transparent, stir in bahrat and loomi or lemon rind and remove from heat. keep aside.
• 5 soak tamarind in 1 cup water for 10 minutes and rub with fingers. pass through a sieve, pressing pulp through with the back of a spoon. reserve tamarind liquid.
• 6 in a large, wide-based pot gently fry small chopped onion in ghee until transparent. add tamarind liquid, remaining water, tomato, spices, salt to taste & sugar. cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
• 7 while sauce is simmering make chebeh. take about a tbs of prawn paste and flatten in moistened palm. place and tsp of onion filling in center and close up, shaping into a ball. keep hands moist during shaping. repeat until ingredients are used.
• 8 drop completed chebeh into simmering sauce. cover and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. chebeh will swell during cooking. serve hot with bahraini sweet rice (muhammar) and garnish with a few cooked prawns and coriander springs if desired.