My Household’s Recipe for Candy, Tart, and Completely Cooked Shrimp in Creamy Tamarind-Coconut Sauce

Considered one of my favourite methods to eat shrimp is the Indian dish khadkhadi, plump shrimp simmered in a wealthy and tart sauce that includes elements generally used within the west coast of the nation, together with tamarind and coconut. I realized find out how to cook dinner khadkhadi from my mom’s sister, Maya Kale-Laud, who cooked it typically. It’s so beloved by me and my household that Maya even contributed her recipe for it to my cookbook The Essential Marathi Cookbook.

The dish’s identify is an onomatopoeia: In Maya and my mom’s mom tongue of Marathi, khadkhadna refers back to the effervescent sound made by the elements cooking in a scorching liquid. Within the dish, shrimp are first brined to present them a plump, snappy texture, then they bubble away in a velvety coconutty sauce made tangy from tamarind pulp. It’s delightfully savory, slightly candy, and acidic all of sudden. As a result of the sound of the shrimp cooking is loud, I lovingly confer with the dish as “noisy” shrimp.  

Maya Maushi—Maushi means mom’s sister in Marathi, the language of my state, Maharashtra—typically cooked khadkhadi for her seafood-loving household, and it’s simple to see why: It’s a fast dish, prepared in lower than an hour and may be served scorching immediately or eaten chilly as a pickled condiment for the subsequent 5 days. Because the shrimp brine briefly, you may soak the tamarind and make the coconut-garlic paste. Then after a mere quarter-hour of cooking, dinner is prepared.

Sizzling, khadkhadi is a filling important course on white rice or a flavorful snack on toast. Out of the fridge, it may be used as a satisfyingly spicy condiment with Indian meals or served chilly on dressed greens for a lip-smacking salad. I preserve the essence of Maushi’s recipe right here, tweaking it solely barely. Listed below are a couple of ideas for making this candy, tart, and savory coconut and tamarind shrimp recipe at house.

Suggestions for Cooking Coconut and Tamarind Shrimp

For juicier shrimp, brine with salt and baking soda. Tossing the shrimp with salt and baking soda briefly earlier than cooking greatly enhances the shrimp’s flavor and seasoning; brining with salt ensures the shrimp stay moist as they cook dinner, whereas alkaline baking soda delivers a pleasantly agency texture.

Right here, I toss the shrimp with the salt and baking soda plus pink chile powder and floor turmeric for added taste. In my assessments, I discovered that the shrimp had the very best taste and texture when brined for 30 to 45 minutes. Simply be sure to refrigerate them throughout this time so that they keep recent, and use a glass or steel bowl that won’t stain from the colourful turmeric and chile powder.

Begin with frozen recent coconut flakes for a flavorful sauce. Whereas Maushi used a grinding stone to make her coconut and garlic paste, right here I name for a meals processor. Utilizing a meals processor requires including water to the coconut combination to make sure the processor’s blade catches the combination and blends till easy. (When you favor to make use of a mortar and pestle, you may omit water initially and add one tablespoon at a time if wanted to loosen the combination.) Be sure that to make use of frozen recent flakes, not desiccated or dried sweetened flakes. Contemporary coconut flakes have a richer, extra intense coconut taste than dried varieties do.

Make your personal tamarind paste; it’s simpler than you assume. Retailer-bought ready tamarind paste is accessible at many Indian meals markets, and should appear to be the simpler choice since little to no prep is required for it, however I strongly suggest not utilizing ready tamarind paste, which may differ enormously in texture and taste and so they typically lack the depth of taste and thicker texture of a paste that’s freshly ready with tamarind pulp. As a substitute make your personal paste from scratch with tamarind pulp; the trouble is value it for the balanced tart and candy taste it provides to the ultimate dish. I like to recommend utilizing Indian tamarind pulp, as Thai tamarind pulp is usually too candy for this savory software. 

Begin with a tamarind pulp block and minimize or pinch off two ounces from the bigger block into two-inch chunks. From there, steep it in boiling water for quarter-hour to melt, then squeeze and mash the pulp to separate it from the fibers and seeds, and eventually press it by a fine-mesh strainer. Be sure that to make use of a versatile spatula to scrape off any usable paste that adheres to the underside of the strainer, and add it to the bowl with the remainder of the paste. This course of separates and removes the fibers and seeds from the pulp to type  a thick, candy, tart, and sophisticated tasting paste.

Serve scorching or chilly. Considered one of my favourite issues about this recipe is that it’s nice served scorching proper after cooking as a important dish, however additionally it is fantastic when cooled down, refrigerated, and served chilly. Because the shrimp sit within the acidic tamarind and coconut sauce, they pickle and develop a brighter, sharper taste over time. The acidic sauce preserves the shrimp to allow them to last as long as a full week within the fridge.

When you plan to eat the shrimp as a important course, I like to recommend utilizing giant shrimp. However When you plan to refrigerate it and serve it as a condiment or salad topping later, I like to recommend utilizing small shrimp. I discover that smaller shrimp clump collectively extra within the sauce and are simpler to spoon as a cohesive topping on toast, which is how I prefer to get pleasure from it. Consider the small items of mango you discover in a mango pickle or chutney—you’ll have an analogous expertise with spreadability if utilizing smaller shrimp.