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Sauteed Shrimp with Coconut and Mustard

Cook's note:

Leftover coconut can be frozen in a sealed plastic bag up to 1 month.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    40 min

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 small coconut or 1 cup thawed frozen grated coconut
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
7 small fresh Thai chiles (2 to 3 inches; preferably green), 6 slit lengthwise on one side(not all the way through)
3 tablespoons water
1 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Special Equipment

an electric coffee/spice grinder; a mortar and pestle (optional); a wok

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

    Step 2

    If using whole coconut, pierce 2 softest eyes of coconut with a small screwdriver or a metal skewer, then drain and discard liquid. Bake whole coconut 15 minutes. Break shell with a hammer and remove flesh, levering it out carefully with screwdriver or point of a strong knife. Finely shred enough coconut to measure 1 cup using the 1/8-inch-wide holes of a box grater.

    Step 3

    Finely grind mustard seeds with a pinch of salt in grinder. Finely chop whole chile (without slit) and mash in mortar with pestle along with ground mustard seeds and a pinch of salt until chile is finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon water. Mix to a paste. (Alternatively, very finely chop chile, then stir with mustard seeds and water to form a paste.)

    Step 4

    Toss shrimp with turmeric and salt.

    Step 5

    Heat oil in wok over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté shrimp, stirring, until it just turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add grated coconut, mustard paste, remaining 6 chiles, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Sauté, stirring, until water is absorbed and shrimp are well coated, about 2 minutes more.

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