Shrimp Coconut Curry {Kerala Style Chemmeen Curry}
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Recipe type: Main, Entree
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
A toothsome shrimp curry made with a spicy coconut sauce, straight from the land of coconuts and seafood, Kerala. Enjoy this delicious shrimp or prawns curry with rice and your favorite vegetables.
You will need:
For the coconut curry paste,
  • Coconut - ½ cup, freshly grated
  • Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
  • Red chili powder - 2 tsp
  • Coriander powder - 3½ tsp
For shrimp curry,
  • Coconut oil - 2 tsp
  • Shallots - 2 tbsp, sliced
  • Ginger - 1" piece, julienned
  • Garlic - 3-4 cloves, sliced
  • Green chilies - 3
  • Curry leaves - a sprig
  • Coconut paste - the above quantity
  • Tomato - 1 large, sliced into half moons
  • Tamarind - a lime-sized ball dissolved in 1 cup of water
  • Water - 1.5 cups
  • Shrimp - 1 lb, peeled and deveined
For tempering,
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds - 3-4
  • Shallots - 1 tbsp, thinly sliced
  • Curry leaves - 3-4, torn
How to:
  1. Blend the coconut curry paste with a little bit of water till smooth. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tsp oil in an earthen ware pot (or other deep pan). Add shallots, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute till lightly browned and fragrant.
  3. Add the coconut curry paste, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato and cook till softened, 3-4 minutes.
  5. Then add the tamarind water and plain water and boil for 5 minutes till lightly thickened.
  6. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
  7. In a small pan, heat the oil for tempering. Add the other tempering ingredients. Turn off the heat when mustard seeds crackle and shallots are golden in color. Add to the shrimp coconut curry and mix well.
  8. Keep curry covered for half an hour before serving. The curry will thicken as it sits for a while as well.
  9. Serve with rice, rotis or other Indian flatbreads like dosas, appalls, idiyappams, etc.
Notes:
1. I always make a large batch of the coconut curry paste, divide it into portions, label and freeze for future use. That way, a delicious fish curry can be put together very quickly.
2. You can make this curry with pieces of other fish.
3. Use slices of sour mango instead of tomato and tamarind if you can find it. The mango has to be green, unripe and very sour to add the necessary tangy flavor to the curry.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2016/10/15/shrimp-coconut-curry-kerala-style-chemmeen-curry/