Give me a choice of Buffalo wings or spicy fried shrimp, and I’ll go for the shrimp every time. But then I’m a shrimp lover.
As far as provenance, I recommend getting as close to fresh wild shrimp as possible. There’s a store in my neighborhood that regularly brings up shrimp from the Gulf Coast, North Carolina and Georgia. The flavor is exceptional: sweet and juicy, with firm meat.
But frozen wild shrimp are fine, too, and a good alternative. For the sweetest-tasting shrimp, buy them with the shell on, then peel and devein them at home. It doesn’t take much time to clean a pound of shrimp, and it’s a worthwhile task.
Be wary, though, of bargain-price frozen shrimp from far-off tropical places, and the aquaculture ponds they inhabit. They can be slightly off and a little ammoniated by the time they thaw, and are often dipped in sodium bisulfite to boot. Need I say the flavor suffers? As my mother would say: Cheap’s cheap; you get what you pay for.
Back to spicy and fried. I’m assuming you’ve hauled home the best shrimp available. For these Indian-spiced treats, you’re looking at a 30-minute timeline from start to frying pan. The list of spices may look long, but you probably have all of them in your cupboard. If you can’t find chickpea flour for batter, try rice flour instead.
The marinade is brash, pungent and undeniably spicy-hot, but not excruciatingly so. The shrimp need only a 15-minute bath in the highly seasoned mixture, and they’re ready to fry to a golden crisp. With a dab of mint and coriander green chutney, you can serve them happily with drinks or make a meal of them with rice, lentils and vegetables. There are 16 to 20 medium shrimp to a pound, so plan accordingly.
A word about the somewhat unusual technique for the batter. Just moments before frying, the shrimp, along with the juicy marinade, are sprinkled with a mixture of chickpea and rice flours, which quickly forms a light coating. (You may have to add a tablespoon of water to get the correct consistency.)
Two minutes in hot oil and voilà! Pleasure from a fried shrimp no mere wing could ever match.
Spicy Fried Shrimp with Green Chutney
Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon green or red chili, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan flour)
3 tablespoons rice flour
Vegetable oil for frying
For the chutney:
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
2 cups roughly chopped cilantro
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chopped green or red chili
2 tablespoons lime juice
Preparation
1. Put shrimp in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili, cilantro, mint and lemon juice. Toss to coat well and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (May marinate up to several hours in advance, refrigerated.)
2. Make the chutney: Put mint, cilantro, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, cumin and chili in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth, using a little ice water as necessary to help blend the mixture. Add lime juice and transfer to a small serving bowl.
3. Just before frying, sprinkle rice flour and chickpea flour over reserved shrimp and toss to coat. Then sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons water and toss. Shrimp should now have a batterlike coating.
4. Heat an inch of oil in a wok until nearly smoking, about 375 degrees. Fry a few shrimp at a time until golden and crisp, a minute or so per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until all shrimp are fried. Serve with green chutney.
And to drink …
Chili spice is among the biggest obstacles in choosing a wine. The sensation is great for amplifying flavors in food but often obscures flavors in wines. I would avoid oaky, tannic, high-alcohol wines and reach for German rieslings with some degree of residual sugar, spaetleses ideally, and even ausleses for the intrepid. These wines, low in alcohol and highly expressive, tend to harmonize well with spicy dishes and would be absolutely delicious with the crisp shrimp. Another option would be easygoing sauvignon blancs. Sparkling wines and crisp beers are often considered traditional go-to beverages with spicy food. In his book “Taste Buds and Molecules,” the Canadian sommelier François Chartier argues that carbonation intensifies the chile burn. Science? Or tradition? You decide.
— Eric Asimov
About the Author
