Shrimp Curry

This is from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. This curry is child's play to make and it is absolutely delicious. You can use  shrimp that have been peeled and deveined for ease of preparation

Prawns with Onions in a Peanut-Coconut Spiced Curry

TOPRAY THI KOLUMBI

(serves 4)

1. 1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined but tails left on
2. 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4. 2 tablespoons peanut oil
5. 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
6. 2 teaspoons Maharashtrian garam masala
7. 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh curry leaves

Place the shrimp in a medium-size bowl, and sprinkle them with the salt and turmeric. Toss to coat them with the spices. Refrigerate, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes, to allow the shellfish to absorb the flavor and color of the spices.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry until it is light brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp, arranging them in a single layer in the skillet. Sear on each side to seal in the flavors, about 1 minute per side. Add 1/4 cup water and the garam masala, and stir once or twice to deglaze the skillet, releasing any browned bits of onion. Bring to a boil. Then continue to simmer vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are salmon-orange and tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the curry leaves and serve.

 

MAHARASHTRIAN GARAM MASALA

(makes about cup)

1. 1/4 cup raw peanuts (without the skin)
2. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
3. 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
4. 1 teaspoon cumin seed
5. 8 to 10 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, to taste, stems removed
6. 1/4 teaspoon nutmegs shavings
7. 2 to 3 blades mace
8. 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients except the coconut, and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the peanuts ( in spots) and sesame seeds turn honey brown, the corainder and cumin seeds turn reddish brown and the chiles blacken slightly and smell pungent, 3 to 4 minutes. The chiles' aroma will be masked by the sweet-smelling nutmeg and mace.

Immediately transfer the nutty-smelling spices to a plate to cool.(The longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely it is that they will burn, making them bitter and unpalatable.) Return the skillet to the heat and toast the coconut for about 15 seconds; it will immediately start to turn almond-brown. Add the coconut to the pile of toasted peanuts and spices.

Once it is cool to the touch, place half the mixture in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper. (If you don't allow the spices to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture from the heat, making the final blend slightly "cakey.") Transfer this to a small bowl. Repeat with the remaining batch. Thoroughly combine the two ground batches. The aroma of the light reddish-brown blend will be sweet and complex, very different from that of the pre-toasted and post-toasted whole spices.

Store in a tightly sealed container, away from excess light, heat and humidity for up to 2 months.

This was served over rice with Deep-Fried Cauliflower with Chile and Tomatoes. (Click here for the recipe.)