Aish Cooks

For some one who does not even eat shrimp (well, I have begun doing taste-bites now and then), this recipe was a true gem to discover. This is one of the easiest shrimp recipes you’ll get to make, and judging by how awesome it tastes (and looks) no one ever needs to know that! I’ve always been a big fan of Kerala-style recipes for fish and shrimp, and this one struck the perfect chord the very first time itself. I remember seeing D’s aunt make fish fry using a very similar marinade, so this must be pretty common-fare for those who’ve grown up eating mallu food. But before you go scrambling to see if you’ve got coconut stocked in the freezer you might want to know that this recipe does not need coconut – which surely caught me by surprise the first time too considering how almost every other Kerala-style recipe uses it. So with just the usual pantry favorites, and as easily as grind-mix-saute, you’ll have this finger-licking-good dish ready.

Just make sure you keep cooking until it looks like this!

Nadan Chemeen Roast | Kerala Style Shrimp Roast

Recipe slightly adapted from http://www.kothiyavunu.com/2013/09/kerala-style-prawn-roast-recipe-nadan.html

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes | Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

1. 12 – 16 oz raw shrimp med or large, peeled, de-veined, tail-off
2. 1/2 cup shallots or onion (preferably the red variety), roughly chopped
3. 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
4. 4 dry red chilies, or to taste
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
6. 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
7. 3/4 tsp ginger, chopped
8. 3/4 tsp garlic (3-4 small cloves), chopped
9. juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
10. salt to taste
11. few curry leaves (fresh/ dried)
12. 2 tbsp oil (use coconut oil for authentic flavor and aroma)

Method:

1. Add the onions, peppercorns, dry red chilies,cumin seeds, turmeric, ginger, garlic to a blender and make a fine paste.
2. Add lemon juice and combine with spice paste.
3. Add the prepared spice paste to the cleaned shrimp, along with salt, and mix until well to fully coat all the shrimp pieces.
4. Optional: Set aside for a 10 – 20 minutes to allow shrimp to marinate in the spice paste for sometime.
5. Heat oil in a pan, add the curry leaves and cook for a few seconds.
6. Add the shrimp marinated in the spice paste, and saute on med-heat for a few minutes.
7. Cook on med-high, stirring occasionally at the start and more towards the end, until the shrimp gets fully cooked, and curls up.
8. Continue to saute on med-high or high, stirring all the time to avoid burning, until all the water from the shrimp has dried up and the shrimps are browned/roasted to your preference and turn off the heat.

Serve with curry of choice and rice. I personally like mild curries like dal tadka or mor kuzhambu for this.

Notes:

1. The spice paste can be made ahead of time, and the shrimp can be marinated the day before as well.
2. I’m sure this’ll work really good with chicken too, but I have yet to try that. Do let me know if you do happen to give it a try!