It’s nearly May, and New Yorkers are getting pretty concerned about Spring. As in, it’s nowhere to be found. We’ve had some late-in-the-season snowstorms and a lot of rain- but not the mild rains one might expect from this time of year. More like bone-chilling, multi-day drizzle and consistent 40-degree days. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to put the flannel pajamas back into storage just yet.

If I’m looking on the bright side (not a strong suit of mine, candidly), I think we have one more week of this nonsense (the weather app tells me there are still two 40-degree days on the horizon). And once we’re past that, I cannot wait to dig my outdoor furniture out from under the layers of plastic, waterproof layers, re-pot my herb garden and pop open a bottle of Massican sauvignon blanc, a case of which is on the way as we speak. I also cannot wait to start eating warm-weather food.

Indian food might not immediately strike you as warm-weather food. And a lot of it isn’t- the heavy, long-simmered curries with tender bites of meat and wintry spice blends. But this dish is different. It’s got all the flavors of India- green chiles, ginger, garlic, curry leaves- but with a brightness that works perfectly for spring and summer. It’s tomato based, spicy and has some zing. It also comes together super quickly and I could see serving it for a crowd al fresco, with all guests digging in at the end to slurp juices out of their shrimp tails.

It’s been a great, if long, season of root veggies and braises, but east coast- I’m ready to see what you’ve got planned for spring.

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Indian Ginger Shrimp with Shallot and Curry Leaves

Category: Main Course

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 8-10 medium-size to large fresh curry leaves
  • 2 fresh green Thai, cayenne or serrano chiles, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise (do not remove the seeds)
  • 1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri chiles or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne mixed with 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 lb. large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined but tails left on
  • 3 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/8 inch thick), cut into matchstick-thin strips for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a deep, medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, curry leaves and chiles, and stir-fry until the shallots are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomato, vinegar, salt and ground chiles, and heat to a boil. Stir in the shrimp, making sure they get well coated with the sauce.
  3. Lower the heat to medium, cover the skillet and poach, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are slightly curled and salmon-orange in color, 3 to 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thin to your liking, use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked shrimp to a serving platter. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened, about 2 minutes.
  4. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, sprinkle with the ginger and serve.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/04/13/indian-ginger-shrimp-with-shallot-and-curry-leaves/