Shrimp Roast
This is my take on a traditional Kerala shrimp curry. ‘Kudam puli’ is essential for this dish, to give that special sourness and subtle smokiness. It compliments the natural sweetness of shrimp and gives the dish its unique taste.
Max Falkowitz, a food and travel writer describes Kudam puli on the cooking site ‘Serious Eats’ as follows: “Kudam Puli (also known as gambodge, Malabar tamarind, fish tamarind, and mistakenly as kokum) is a fruit used to add sourness to curries in Kerala. When the fruit ripens, it’s removed from the tree, seeded, and left to dry in the sun till it turns leathery. The skins are then smoked, infusing them with a complex aroma: sweet, funky, and astringent”
You can use any type of shrimp; fresh, frozen, farm raised or wild caught. My preference is wild caught shrimp, fresh or frozen, over farm raised because of its superior flavor. Shrimp takes about three to four minutes to cook, depending on the size. Cooking longer can turn them tough and rubbery. To build more flavor, shrimp should be marinated in a spice mix. Cook them partially until spotty brown on one side and they will finish cooking in the sauce.
If you cannot find Kudam puli, use tamarind instead.
Hi everyone, my name is Aswathy. I love trying out new recipes but not so much of the cleaning. These posts are mostly about cooking and will include recipes from all over the world.
Ingredients and Instructions
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined 1lb
- Coriander powder 1tbs
- Kashmiri Cayanne pepper powder 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder 0.5 tsp
- Black pepper powder 1 tsp
- Fenugreek powder 0.25 tsp
Mix all the spices. Toss shrimp with one teaspoon spice mix and half teaspoon salt. Some frozen shrimp has added salt, so make sure to read the ingredient list before adding any. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. For this recipe, I used extra large shrimp; usually between 16 to 20 shrimp a pound.
Keep rest of the spice mix for the last step.
- Kudam puli 6 pieces
Rinse Kudam puli to get rid of any grit. Soak them in half cup of boiling water and set aside for at least 10 minutes to release the flavor. Kudam puli is available online in case you cannot find it at the local Indian grocery store.
In a skillet over medium high, heat 1 tablespoon oil until smoking. Add the marinated shrimp in an even layer. Cook without stirring until bottom is spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Do the searing in batches if the pan is small. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
- Mustard 0.5 tsp
- Onion, chopped 1.5 cup
- Garlic, chopped 2 tbs
- Ginger, chopped 1 tbs
- Green chili, sliced 1tbs
- Curry leaves 2 sprigs
- Coconut pieces, sliced (optional) 0.25 cup
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and sputter mustard seeds. Keep the lid on to contain the popping mustard. Once popping sound become intermittent, add onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves and coconut pieces (if using) and sauté until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add spice powder mix that was set aside and cook for another minute or two.
Add Kudam puli to the pan along with the water it was soaking in. Cook while stirring occasionally until gravy thickens and the oil starts to separate, about 5 minutes. Return shrimp and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
