Creamy shrimp goodness

Chingri macher malaikari...as we bongs call it….is a heavenly entrée made with shrimps in creamy coconut sauce. Necessity is the mother of invention…and that is how I learned cooking. I never seriously cooked back home, as I had my mom always cooking for us (my dad and me) whatever we wanted to eat. Yes, I am a pampered one and I proudly acknowledge that. I grew up seeing my mom improvising and experimenting with her spices and coming up with a new version of a traditional dish.

When I moved to US ….I used to miss my mom’s cooking and that is when I literally started calling her in the middle of the night or very early in the morning and ask about say….how do I cut banana blossom or what is the spice combination for a mom’s specialty gravy.

 Just like me “A” loves to eat and he just adores my version of chingri macher malaikari. Any special occasion and he expects me to cook this, although he never expresses or demands it but I can feel the vibes when we go for our grocery shopping…………As for his birthday I know what he would really look for. The most important part is how he enjoys it…..so for the first day when we have a plenty of the gravy he eats a generous portion, following day he will add water and dilute the gravy (this is the funniest part) to have a generous portion like the first day….what I still do not understand is what actually is important for him, is it the taste of it or the portion size with diluted taste?

INGREDIENTS: (2-3 servings)

Shrimp- 10-12 pieces (I like to buy the deveined fresh ones)

Kalonji-1 tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Mustard oil-2 tbsp

Shredded coconut-1/2 cup

Coconut milk-1/2 cup

Onion (very finely chopped)-2 tbsp

 Green chilies

Sugar

Salt

How to make it:

Start frying shrimp after slightly coating them with turmeric powder and salt. When they are nicely golden color take them out and keep separate. Now for the gravy temper oil with kalonji seeds and add onions and turmeric powder-fry it till they are golden brown. Next, add green chilies and shredded coconut and fry it for couple of minutes; do not over fry the coconut. Time to add coconut milk (this is a crucial point as coconut milk very easily is stuck to the vessel, if you do not pay enough attention). Reduce the amount of gravy depending on how you need it. I like to add salt and sugar at the very end, as it helps me to guess the exact amount to make it a perfect one. Serve with warm white rice.Njoy.....