Chili Shrimp With Pistachio Cilantro Rub

One of my favorite things to do is to hit the local Barnes and Noble, grab a coffee and a few cookbooks from the bargain section, and browse through the books for inspiration and ideas for new recipes.  And almost always I end up buying at least one of these bargain books. While typical curry books contain Indian curries, I liked new curries because it also contains curries from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. One of the first recipes I tried from this book was chili shrimp with a pistachio cilantro rub. It was super easy to make and I served it as an appetizer at a dinner party. I really liked the dish and ended up making it again and the second time around I served the shrimp over salad along with corn on the cob and naan for a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

Chili Shrimp with Pistachio Cilantro Rub (recipe from new curries)

Ingredients:

1. 5 lbs uncooked jumbo shrimp or large prawns (I used only about 16 large shrimp)

2. 1 tsp ground turmeric

3. 1 tsp cumin seeds

4. 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

5. 1/3 tsp chili flakes (I omitted these)

6. 2 long green chilies (I only used one)

7. 3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

8. 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

9. 3 tbsp blanched almonds, roasted

10. 3 tbsp pistachios, roasted

11. 5 ounces coconut milk

12. 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

13. 1 1/2 tbsp warm water

14. 3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves 

Directions:

1. Peel and devein shrimp. Thread shrimp onto skewers. (Note-I found it easier to make the paste and add mix in the shrimp and then thread the shrimp onto the skewers.)

2. Process spices, green chilies, coconut, ginger, nuts, coconut milk, and oil until mixture forms a paste. Transfer to a bowl; stir in water. 

3. Rub paste into shrimp;cook skewers on heated oil grill or grill pan, brushing occasionally with remaining paste, until shrimp are changed in color and cooked 

4. Serve skewers sprinkled with cilantro leaves. 

prep time: 45 min

cooking time: 10 min

serves:4 

tip: soak at least 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before using to prevent them from splitering and scorching.