Coconut Milk Shrimp (Yerra Moolee)

Gently spiced with coriander, ginger, turmeric and green chile, lightly sweet from coconut milk and laced with cilantro, this dish comes from Kerala, on the southwest coast of India. Easy and quick to make once the ingredients are prepped, it is adapted from Julie Sahni’s wonderful 1980 book, Classic Indian Cooking. If you like, you can prepare it a day in advance, chill it and reheat just before serving — with basmati rice. It’ll be best if the coriander seeds are freshly ground.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

2 pounds large or medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and rinsed

7 tablespoons canola or other neutral vegetable oil

2 cups finely chopped onions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons ground or crushed fresh ginger root

2 green chiles (such as serrano), or more to taste, seeded and minced

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons ground coriander

3 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, and add the onions. Fry them over high heat until they turn golden-brown (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, ginger and chiles, and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the turmeric and coriander, stir rapidly for 15 seconds, then add the coconut milk and salt. Cook the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently so the sauce doesn’t stick and burn.

2. Add the shrimps, mix, reduce the heat the medium-low, and simmer, covered for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shrimps are cooked through. Do do overcook the shrimps, or they’ll become tough and chewy. Taste and adjust for salt, stir in the cilantro, and serve.