Robust & Versatile
Prawns are a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs. The term “Prawn” is used particularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth nations, for large swimming crustaceans or shrimp, especially those with commercial significance in the fishing industry.
One of my favorite ingredients to work with in my kitchen is a melange of tastes and flavours attached and adapted with this incredible ingredient, which is easy to use and cook and can help create wonders on the plates for our food connoisseurs and seafood lovers.
Shrimp that are present in this category often belong to the suborder Dendrobranchiata. In North America, the term is used less frequently, typically for freshwater shrimp. The terms shrimp and prawn themselves lack scientific standing. Over the years, the way they are used has changed, and the terms are almost interchangeable these days.
Prawns are found in calmer waters where the prawns can nest in the water plants to lay their eggs. Like the shrimp, the prawn does tend to prefer the warmer waters in the tropics. The prawn feeds by filtering nutritious particles out of the water flowing around the prawn, and the prawn is therefore often found on rocks or close to the sea floor. Prawns can live for two to three years.
They mature at about six to eight months of age, and spawning occurs in offshore waters. King prawns tend to spawn throughout the year while tiger prawns mainly spawn during spring and summer. A single prawn can spawn more than once in any one year. The female releases hundreds of thousands of eggs.
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Prawns are omnivores and essentially scavengers. Some are planktivorys and vegetarians. Prawns eat plant material, decaying organic matter, micro-organisms, small shellfish and worms. King prawns are sensitive to light so they bury themselves during the day and feed actively at night. Tiger prawns tend to be active day and night. The type of food varies according to the developmental stage and species of the prawn.
Prawn-based dishes are very common in Indian cuisine particularly since most people in India prefer to eat seafood and vegetables instead of meat. Now, it would be interesting to know what health benefits one can get from eating prawns. I like to combine prawns with several cuisines and methods of cooking since they turn out equally good in varied ways from Indian to Indonesian & from Spanish to Singaporean flavours!
HERE ARE SOME HEALTH BENEFITS OF PRAWNS:
- Prawns are a rich source of selenium which prevents the growth of cancer cells.
- Prawns are rich in Vitamin E and hence assist in maintaining the health of skin, bones and teeth.
- Prawns are rich in Zinc levels which helps us boost our immunity levels and they also include all the nine amino acids as well.
- Prawns are rich in Vitamin B-12 and therefore help in maintaining good cardiovascular health as well.
- Prawns are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and also aid in the manufacture of red blood cells in our body.
- Prawns are helpful in maintaining normal nerve functions, and they are also rich in high-quality protein.
- Prawns have anti-inflammatory properties and also assist in maintaining normal blood pressure.
- Prawns are also comparatively low in calories as compared to most meats hence also help us maintain our body weight and keep calories in control.
Here are a few of my all-time favourite recipes with Prawns:
Recipe-1] CHEESY PRAWN LUMPIA ROLLS
Recipe-2] ASIAN STYLE SPICY PRAWN FRY
Recipe-3] SPICED PRAWN SESAME TOASTS
Recipe-4] THAI STYLE COCONUT PRAWN CURRY
Recipe- 5] STIR FRIED PRAWNS WITH TOSSED RICE
Recipe- 6] DUMDAAR PRAWN MASALA PULAO
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