Bengal — the Bengali zamindari (aristocratic landlord) tradition; influenced by Malay coconut milk techniques through the Bay of Bengal trade
Chingri malaikari is the Bengali aristocrat's prawn preparation — large tiger prawns or jumbo freshwater prawns (bagda chingri) in a delicate, mildly spiced coconut milk sauce. The name 'malai' refers to the coconut milk (Malay influence through coastal Bengali trade), not to dairy cream. The dish is architecturally restrained: no heavy spicing, no tomato, minimal chilli — the preparation exists to highlight the sweetness of the prawn and the richness of coconut milk. The prawn is marinated in turmeric and salt, lightly fried in mustard oil, then removed while the coconut milk sauce is built, and returned only for the final 3–4 minutes.
With steamed basmati or gobindobhog rice. The sauce is poured over the rice separately; the prawn is placed on top. A lemon wedge and raw green chilli alongside.
{"Use large fresh prawns — small prawns disappear in the sauce; the prawn must be the dominant presence","Fry the marinated prawn in mustard oil until 70% cooked, then remove — the prawn finishes in the sauce","Build the coconut milk sauce in the same mustard oil with fried onion, ginger, green chilli, and whole spices","Add first-press thick coconut milk last, off the heat or on very low heat — simmering thick coconut milk splits it","The finished sauce should be thin and pale yellow — it is not a thick gravy"}
The aristocratic Bengali tradition specifies bagda chingri (sea water tiger prawn) for the finest malaikari — the size and sweetness are superior to farmed prawn. In Dhaka and Kolkata households, a whole dried red chilli is bloomed in the mustard oil before the prawn is added — the slight heat and smokiness from the chilli-mustard oil combination is the dish's subtle background note.
{"Fully cooking the prawn before the sauce step — it overcooks during the sauce-building stage","Boiling the thick coconut milk — it splits and becomes grainy","Heavy spicing — masks the clean sweetness of both prawn and coconut"}