S.H. Fernando Jr.'s Deviled Shrimp

Cook the Book
Caroline Russock
S.H. Fernando Jr.'s Deviled Shrimp

[Photograph: Susan Now]

Chile plays a major roll in the cuisine of Sri Lanka. Powdered cayenne and hot peppers, both dried and fresh, pop up in nearly every recipe in S.H. Fernando Jr.'s Rice & Curry. So it's only appropriate that we're kicking off a week of Sri Lankan home cooking with a chile-laden recipe for Deviled Shrimp.

This beer-drinking snack is cooked in a base of caramelized garlic, onions and ginger, tossed with curry leaves, tomatoes, and fresh chiles and finished with a bright squirt of fresh lime juice. It's the kind of eat-with-your-hands dish that's the ideal balance of savory sour heat that makes you want to devour every last spicy shrimp.

What Worked: Fernando calls these spicy, bright shrimp a convenient finger food, the ideal snack for an icy beer. We sampled the pairing for ourselves and have to agree, it's a match made in heaven.

What Didn't: No complaints here but be warned, there's a lot of chile going on i.e. not for the faint of heat heart.

Suggested Tweaks: This recipe can be made with squid as well. Just cut your cephalopods into one inch lengths and proceed.

Reprinted with permission from Rice & Curry by S.H. Fernando Jr.. Copyright © 2011. Published by Hippocrene Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

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  • Yield:makes 4 to 6 servings
  • Active time: 20 minutes
  • Total time:20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 Serrano chiles, sliced diagonally
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
  • 2 dry red chiles, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime

Directions

  1. 1.

    Wash, clean, and shell shrimp.

  2. 2.

    Heat oil in pan. Sauté onions, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and Serrano chiles.

  3. 3.

    Add shrimp, cayenne powder, dry chiles, vinegar, and salt, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Remove from heat, put on a plate, and squeeze on lime juice just before serving.

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S.H. Fernando Jr.'s Deviled Shrimp
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