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Sunday Supper: Goan-Style Shrimp Curry

Posted by Alaina Browne, May 17, 2008 at 5:00 PM

Each Saturday evening we bring you a Sunday Supper recipe. Why on Saturday? So you have time to shop and prepare for tomorrow.

One of my go-to cookbooks is Indian Home Cooking by chef and author Suvir Saran. I love Saran's simple approach to Indian cooking adapted for American kitchens, and I've never been disappointed by his recipes. This recipe for Goan Shrimp Curry is adapted from his second book, American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen. To really make this dish sing, don't skip the curry leaves. You can find fresh curry leaves at most Indian food stores, usually in plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Goan-Style Shrimp Curry

- Serves 8 -

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:
1 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
24 curry leaves, roughly torn (optional)
4 dried red chiles
1 teaspoon ground peppercorns
A 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon Sambhaar or 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure

1. To make the marinade, place all of the ingredients in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, toss to coat, and refrigerate.

2. Set 1/2 cup of water next to the stovetop. Heat the oil with the curry leaves (if using) and chiles in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the curry leaves start to sizzle, 1-2 minutes. Add the ground peppercorns and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the ginger, onion, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes, sprinkling with water and stirring whenever the onion and ginger begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. Add the garlic, coriander, and turmeric and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping the browned bits up from the sides and bottom of the pot, for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the curry and cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp and any accumulated marinade juices. Bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled and opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

1 Comment | Tags: curry, Indian, shrimp

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