My patti (grandmother) Ella used to make a mean baby shrimp curry. With drumstick bean leaves and baby shrimps, it was a burst of flavours on the palate. I saw these dried baby shrimp in our local Asian Supermarket and picked up a pack to make some dry chutney and to reminisce my childhood days in patti's house with my cousins. What a blast we used to have - all 9 of us. I will never know how she ever managed the lot of us. All I know is that my summer holidays seemed to finish too quick each time.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried baby shrimp
1 cup desiccated coconut
5-6 shallots or 1/2 a red onion
5-6 cloves of garlic
7-8 dry red chillies (reduce if you want less heat)
1 small piece of tamarind
rock salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
Method:
Use a heavy bottomed pan for the next step - and a low to medium heat.
Toast dry shrimp till they snap when you break them - and they should be a golden brown. Set aside in a plate.
Toast desiccated coconut with the dry red chilli, curry leaves, garlic, cumin and curry leaves.
All the items should be toasted till they are dry and brittle and the coconut turns golden.
Place these toasted ingredients with the shrimp in the plate.
Once the ingredients have cooled down, grind to a crumb texture.
Serve as a side dish with rice and dal, Kanji (rice porridge/gruel), string hoppers or idlis.
This can be kept for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
No comments:
Post a Comment