East: Bengal Lancers Shrimp Curry (jhinka Masala)

Serves:

Ingredients:

Stephen Ceideburg
Freshly cooked basmati or
1/4 c To 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 c Chopped tomato
1 c Finely chopped onion
oil
2 tb Mustard oil or light olive
1 tb Lemon juice
2 Dried red chiles, stemmed
ginger, peeled
1 Half-inch piece fresh
4 Whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 ts Cumin seeds
1/2 ts Mustard seeds
1/4 ts Turmeric
1/2 ts Salt
deveined, tails left on
1 lb Medium shrimp, peeled,
long-grain rice

Method:

This dish was popular with the Bengal Lancers regiment around the turn of the century.
For a change of pace, try it over pasta or Indian basmati rice.
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and turmeric.
Toss well to coat; cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
Combine mustard, cumin, garlic, ginger, chiles and lemon juice in a blender and puree.
Set aside.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add pureed spice mixture.
Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato and cook until soft.
Add shrimp, stir gently to coat them evenly.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until shrimp are just opaque, about 5 minutes.
Mound rice into heated serving plates.
Spoon curry over and serve.
Note: Basmati rice has a distinctive nutty flavor.
It is available at Indian, Middle Eastern, some specialty food stores and supermarkets.
PER SERVING (not counting rice): 375 calories, 40 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (3 g saturated), 279 mg cholesterol, 279 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.
Laxmi Hiremath writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24/9 2.