We knew we were in for a treat when we walked into the intimate and cozy dining room of Rasai in the Freemont area of Seattle. We were greeted with warmth and led to a table in the corner to enjoy a meal from Executive Chef Gaurav Raj. Chef Raj received his culinary education in his homeland of India. After working in India, he came to the U.S. and worked in San Francisco Indian restaurants for three years before coming to Seattle’s Rasai in 2021.
Rasai focuses on using local ingredients with exotic Indian flavorings and providing a contemporary and exciting menu. We're excited to go back and try out their new brunch menu and enjoy more of their dinner offerings.
Prawns Xacuti
Ingredients for xacuti masala:
1 Onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 inch Ginger, finely chopped
8 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
8 Kashmiri dry red chili
1/2 cup Fresh coconut
2 tablespoons Poppy seeds
4 Cloves
1-inch Cinnamon Stick
15 Black peppercorns
1-1/2 teaspoons Cumin seeds
1-1/2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Oil
Directions for the masala:
Heat 1/2 teaspoon of Oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and sauté until the onions turn translucent and lightly golden.
Add grated coconut to the above onions and sauté till the coconut turns golden brown. Remove the mixture from the stove and set aside to cool.
Into the same pan, add Kashmiri red chilies, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds and roast them for about 3- 5 minutes on low flame.
Roast the spices until they release a pleasant aroma and begin to turn brown—turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
Grind the roasted spices and onion-coconut mix and grind into a smooth paste by adding little water.
Now heat 2 tablespoons of Oil in a deep-bottomed pan. Add the ground masala paste and cook for 5 minutes.
Ingredients for the crispy prawns:
1 pound (500 grams) Prawns (cleaned, deveined and tail on)
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (250 grams) Flour
Scant 1/2 cup (100 ml) Water
1 Whole egg
1 tsp Salt - 1tsp
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
3-4 Phyllo pastry sheets
Directions for the crispy prawns:
Clean and devein the prawns, leave the tail on. Make incision on under side of the prawns to keep them straight.
Make the batter with all the ingredients mentioned.
Shred the the phyllo pastry. Dip the prawns in the batter and roll and wrap it in the the shredded phyllo.
Deep fry them for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with xacuti masala.
