Tandoori shrimp is a seafood dish fit for a feast. The preparation isn’t all that complicated; the marinade is the same as for the similarly-named chicken dish. It consists of ginger garlic paste, yogurt, garam masala, turmeric and chili powder. I also add paprika so the color is vibrant without being too spicy. Once the marinade is complete, you can use it for meat, fish or even paneer cheese; you name it. Tandoori paste is a true culinary chameleon.
I made this dish ‘way back during the summer and completely forgot to share the recipe. I’ve been working on an exciting photo project these days (I’ll tell you the good news soon!) and found this jumbo shrimp photograph in my image organizer as I was editing my previous food photography work. We made it for a barbecue. It was a very relaxing day and I really didn’t want to slave in the kitchen. I just placed the colossal shrimp in the marinade and my husband’s cousin was in charge of grilling. Of course, you don’t need to wait for warmer days; simply use a griddle pan and I promise your guests will definitely be in for a treat.
1. Info for Tandoori Shrimp Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 6
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Tandoori Shrimp Recipe
- 18 jumbo shrimp
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 limes
- ¾ cup Greek-style plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1-½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1-½ teaspoons red chili powder, to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), melted
- 2 teaspoons cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped
3. Directions:
- Prepping the shrimp: Remove and discard the head of the shrimp if it’s still attached. Carefully shell and de-vein the black part of the shrimp using a sharp hook-like paring knife, all the way from the head to right before the tail so when it’s cooked, the shrimp will open up like a butterfly. Make sure not to remove the tip of the tail (the shell that covers the tail) for easier handling. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry using paper towels. Repeat the same procedure for each shrimp. These steps are tedious but essential for pretty results.
- For the tandoori paste: Using a cheese cloth, strain out the excess whey of the yogurt for at least 15 minutes (that way the tandoori marinade will have a lower water content for creamier consistency). Add the marinade ingredients (ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, paprika, turmeric powder, black pepper, the juice of 1 lime, garam masala spice mix and oil) and mix together with the yogurt. In a sealable container, combine the tandoori paste and the jumbo shrimp. Seal and shake well. Make sure the tandoori marinade coats and penetrates the shrimp. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. This step will prevent the bamboo from burning on the grill. Remove the shrimp 15 minutes before cooking to bring them back to room temperature. Reserve the marinade on the side. Pat the shrimp dry one more time with paper towels. Season with salt.
- Thread the shrimp onto 6 skewers. Drizzle with a little oil.
- Brush the hot barbecue grill with oil. Arrange the shrimp skewers on the hot grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and transfer to a platter. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, then baste the seafood with melted ghee. Drizzle with the remaining lime juice and sprinkle cilantro and a little more salt (if necessary).
- The shrimp should have a dry crust on the outside and still be very moist on the inside.
- Serve the tandoori shrimp on a bed of basmati rice, raita (Indian style yogurt sauce) and mint chutney on the side.
- Bon appétit!
