Kolambicha Bhujna - Spicy Prawn Soup

This is one quick accompaniment which can be prepared with hot steaming rice on a rainy day or when you have some prawns in the ice-box and not in the mood of chopping, mincing, grinding etc. Or if you are one lazy cat like me. I had this preparation when I got married and my mum-in-law would make this as a side dish when we would have our fish eating days (Wednesday, Friday & Sunday officially at home). Initially I was not drawn to it as it came across too watery for my taste. But then after trying it several times and getting to know it's secret ingredient and technique I found it challenging enough to try it out on my own. There are not much ingredients to it but a very good quality red chilli powder froms the base to this soup. So here it is....

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shelled prawns, cleaned and deveined
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 tbspn red chilli powder
2 tbspn vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai. When hot enough add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Turn off the heat and quickly add red chilli powder and prawns. You need to take care that the chilli powder should not burn or tuen black. Turn on the heat to medium flame and fry prawns for 2 mins. in the chilli oil. When it starts losing its colour add the hot water. Using this technique the chilli oil starts to float on the top thus giving the soup a nice deep red colour and flavour of the prawns. Now add salt to taste and let it cook for another 5-7 mins. Your hot, spicy, prawny soup is ready to eat with steaming hot rice. Done!