Hey Nancya,
CoolJ's recipe sounds really good too. I will try it. Guess what...that's what we had tonight for dinner. The chicken had been marinating since Sunday afternoon. As Anneke would say:
"What a coinkidink!!"
As for my "paste" for the prawns, yes, it is different.
Tandoori-style prawns
Serves 4 as a snack
4 tablespoons plain yoghurt
A 1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely grated
1 large clove garlic, peeled and mashed to a pulp
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground roasted cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons yellow liquid food colouring mixed with 1 teaspoon red liquid food colouring
8 oz peeled good quality prawns, defrosted and patted dry (I use fresh)
2 oz unsalted butter
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, salt, some black pepper, roasted cumin, garam masala, and liquid food colouring. Stir to mix and set aside for 15 minutes. Push this liquid through a sieve into a second bowl. Add the prawns to the marinade and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the prawns with a slotted spoon, leaving all the marinade behind in the bowl.
Melt the butter in a 8-9 inch frying pan over a medium flame. When the butter has melted completely, turn heat to medium-high and immediately pour in the marinade. Stir and fry for a few minutes or until the butter separates and you have a thick bubbly sauce clinging to the bottom of the pan. Add the prawns and fold them in. Cook for a few minutes, stirring gently. Do not overcook the prawns.
Stick toothpicks in the prawns and serve immediately.
This recipe may easily be doubled. Just use a larger frying pan or cook in several batches.
P.S. I always use Kosher salt and Tellicherry black peppercorns freshly ground in all my Indian recipes.