Curried shrimp with Coconut Milk

Come weekend eve and we are in a mood to dig into something super-comforting. And that for my family has to be either fish or seafood! Shrimp curry with coconut milk has always been my personal favorite! The creamy consistency and mild sweet taste of coconut milk blends perfectly with shrimps and gives this dish the exquisite flavors and authenticity that it has. Fresh shrimps cooked with curry leaves, aromatic spices and coconut milk make the dish extremely palatable, aromatic and full of flavors.

Shrimp or any seafood is the soul of the country where I live in. Being surrounded by a vast stretch of ocean waters, fresh seafood is always available in abundance. In such scenario, it is only but obvious to avail this opportunity and relish the flavors of these amazing deep-sea creatures with the best of cooking ingredients.

Shrimp curry is quintessential to Bengali and Goan cuisines. This recipe brings back lovely memories from my childhood when we savored a creamy curried shrimp dish popularly known as “Chingri Malaikari” that represents a typical example of class and quality when it comes to Bengali seafood curries. Although this recipe is not exactly an imitation of Chingri Malaikari but hey, to me this definitely tastes way better! So, for all you seafood lovers, do try this recipe and you will be glad you had it. This dish tastes absolute heaven when spooned over a plate of warm jasmine rice. That’s the way we love it, but it’s really wonderful to have it with some bread too!

Ingredients:

Shrimp / prawns – peeled and deveined

Curry leaves – 5-6

Onion – 1 large

Ginger – 1 large portion

Green chillies – 2-3

Dry red chillies – 2-3

Coconut milk – 1/2 cup

Shrimp paste – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Yogurt – 1 tbsp

Ground Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Ground cumin – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Cilantro leaves – finely chopped

Spring onion greens – finely chopped

Salt – as per taste

Method:

Grind the onions, ginger, green chillies and dry red chillies into a fine paste.

Marinate the shrimp with yogurt, ground turmeric and a pinch of salt.

Take some oil in a pan.

Add the curry leaves.

As the curry leaves splutter, add the onion-ginger-chilli paste.

Add the red chilli powder and ground cumin.

Mix well and cook it down until oil separates.

Once you can see traces of oil appearing on the sides, add the marinated shrimps.

It is important not to overcook the shrimps. Shrimp tastes the best when they are soft and succulent. As soon as the shrimps start turning pink, add the coconut milk.

Add salt, vinegar and shrimp paste which is totally optional. I feel shrimp paste is a wonderful additional and it really brings out the flavors. The curry needs acidity and vinegar acts as a perfect acidic agent, which really enhances the taste of the dish. In Goa, adding vinegar is a common practice and this is something I have learnt and adapted from my in-laws. Vinegar goes just perfect with shrimp curries.

Cover and cook this for just a few mins, until the shrimp is just cooked all the way through.

In the end just add the garam masala powder, chopped cilantro leaves and spring onion greens.

Check the seasoning. Switch off the flame.

Delicious shrimp curry with coconut milk will be ready to serve.

Ladle this lovely curry over some cooked jasmine rice and it will be deliciousness, awesomeness personified to the core!!

Serve hot and enjoy!!