Once again I will try my hand at an international dish. This time we go to India’s smallest, yet richest state, Goa, which is in western India. Goan cuisine is famous for its wide variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconuts and curries are widely used in Goan cooking along with chili peppers, spices and vinegar, giving the food a unique flavor. Fish curry with rice is one of the main dishes in this region.  A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as Bebinca is a favorite during the Christmas holiday, which was the inspiration for this dish. I found the dish to be like most of the Indian dishes I have prepared, except the coconut milk which I have found more common in Thai cooking. This dish is BIG on flavor and, because I happened to find colossal shrimp at Fairway, the dish is big — just check out the photo of an uncooked shrimp. It has a has a nice amount of heat for the foodies who love spicy dishes (but not over-spicy). Bon Appetit!

Colossal Shrimp!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp fresh crushed black pepper
3 tbsp water
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 lbs of shrimp
1 cup coconut milk
1 medium tomato diced
1 tsp salt
4 hard-boiled eggs
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Your choice of rice to serve (I used basmati)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is softened but not browned. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel, turmeric, chili powder, and pepper. Add the water and make a paste. Reduce the heat to medium, add the paste to the onion mixture, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and salt, bring to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, shell the eggs and, using a sharp knife, make 4 slits lengthwise on each egg without cutting through. Add the eggs to the pan along with the shrimp and increase the heat to cook for 6-8 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and half the cilantro. Remove from the heat and transfer the curry to a serving dish. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro and serve with basmati rice.

Goan Curry Shrimp