T&T: Goan shrimp masala

As I was browsing “QuickIndianCooking” which is the featured blog of the month in the T&T event, I landed on the recipe for Goan prawn masala. I am crazy for all things goan these days, especially because I am hosting the ‘Flavors of Goa’ event in my blog. I loved the recipe and decided to make it to feature both in T&T and in my event. If you haven’t sent your entries yet, Jan 31 is the last day. Please do send your entries.

Anyway, this particular Goan recipe Mallika explains is a fiery hot one. She had adjusted the spice level, but I chose to keep it original and spicy as my husband loves spice and seafood. Also, traditional Goan recipe uses the small shrimp and not large king prawns. So, I used medium shrimp for the curry. I used frozen shrimp.

A little info on buying packaged frozen shrimp. Sometimes you might see that there are two numbers on the package. The package I had said Shrimp Medium (41 50). If you wonder what 41 50 is, it is a way of categorizing shrimp by size, which implies that this medium sized shrimp weigh 41-50 shrimp per pound. It standardizes the small/medium/large categories across the whole US. Cool eh! Enough with Shrimp education and more on how to cook and eat it.

Ingredients:
1 lb medium frozen shrimp(41-50), thawed
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
cilantro, for garnish(optional)

Make a paste adding enough water:
4 red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves

Method:
Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and golden brown. Add salt and turmeric powder. Then the ground paste and saute until all the moisture is evaporated and oil floats to the top. Remember the shrimp will give out some water and its important to have a well cooked and dry masala to coat the shrimp. Add the shrimp and toss until the water evaporates, the shrimp turns pink and curly. Take care not to overcook the shrimp or it will turn rubbery. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Verdict: This dish surely is a fiery hot one. Reduce the amount of chillies as in Mallika’s recipe to keep it down. Thanks to her we enjoyed this one with both rice and rotis.

Sending this to the T&T event hosted at BengaliCuisine, event by Lakshmi and to the event guest hosted at my blog – ‘Flavors of Goa’, original event by Nayna.

Related posts:

Tandoori Bell Pepper Masala(Roasted bell pepper curry) Easy channa Masala Paneer Tawa Masala Aloo Methi Masala