Fried Curry Shrimp

Weeknights are always busy. Dinnertime creeps like a thief and oftentimes, I have nothing planned. I would do a quick scan on what we have in the fridge then another quick pass through the freezer. That’s how I “plan” what to cook, on a lot of occasions. 

Shrimps are wonderful when you’re in a rush. It thaws fast, cooks fast and the spices you add to it seeps in faster than the other proteins. Just a few tweaks to the usual fried shrimp makes it more exciting on the palate and it’s also a good way to introduce new flavors to the fam. 

Preparation time on this one is longer than the actual cooking time. You can reduce it by purchasing deveined headless shrimps (but make sure it’s still shell-on) or using smaller sizes. The ones I used are about 25-26 pieces in a pound. When buying your shrimps, check the numbers outside the box. The ones I used are the size 20/30 (mine was exactly 25 pieces) meaning, there are approximately 20 to 30 shrimps in a pound. Remember that the lower the numbers, the bigger the shrimps. Lessen the cooking time when using the smaller ones. Keep an eye on them as they go from golden to burnt quickly. 

Fried Curry Shrimp

Pam from PinoyBites

Crispy and delectable spiced shrimps that’s easy to make and addicting! Dipped in spiced vinegar, you can serve it with rice, as an appetizer or “pulutan”.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound head-on large shrimps cleaned*
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• Canola oil for frying
• Store-bought sweet chili sauce for dipping OR the recipe below👇🏼

For the dipping sauce:

• ½ cup vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 Thai chili chopped (optional)

Instructions

 

• Clean the shrimps by snipping the rostrum (the pointy protruding thing between the eyes) and the antennae with kitchen shears. To devein (optional): Bend the head slightly then insert a toothpick (about 1 cm) under any of the shell openings throughout its body then gently pull upwards until the vein is removed. Place the cleaned shrimps in a large bowl.
• Grate 1 teaspoon of ginger over the shrimps. Put all the dry spices (curry powder, garlic, onion, paprika, salt and pepper) in a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the shrimps and mix well to completely coat the seafood. Set aside.
• Heat about 1 inch of oil in a frying pan. Combine the flour and cornstarch in a large bowl. Dredge the shrimps (a few pieces at a time) with the flour and shake off the excess.
• Once the oil is hot, fry for about 1 to 2 minutes (until golden and crispy). Fry in batches (a few pieces at a time) to maintain the oil temperature. This will ensure the shrimps will be crispy and not greasy.
• Drain on pieces of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Serve with vinegar dipping sauce or store-bought sweet chili sauce.

Notes

*Shrimp sizes vary. The ones I used came in at 25 pieces to a pound. You can also use smaller ones like the 30/40 or the 40/50 (numbers imply the number of shrimps in a pound). Remember that the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp size.
Adjust the cooking time and cook until golden and crispy.

Keyword appetizers, fried food, pulutan, seafood, shrimp