Chingri Malaikari (Bengali Shrimp Curry)
By Annie PetitoPublished on January 10, 2025
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Look for tej patta, Kashmiri chile powder, and 4- to 5-inch long green chiles at Indian or Pakistani markets; if unavailable, use laurel bay leaves, paprika plus a pinch of cayenne, and serranos. We prefer untreated shrimp, but if your shrimp are treated with sodium or preservatives like sodium tripolyphosphate, skip the salt in step 1 and increase the salt in step 5 to 1¼ teaspoons. We recommend using head-on shrimp, though head-off are also fine. If using head-on shrimp, use kitchen shears to snip off the eyes, antennae, and legs for a cleaner presentation. If desired, remove the sharp pointed piece (rostrum) between the eyes. We used Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, use only ¾ teaspoon for the shrimp and ¾ teaspoon in the sauce. We developed this recipe with full-fat Aroy-D coconut milk. The curry is typically served over fragrant Kalijira rice; alternatively, use jasmine rice. The dish is meant to be eaten with your hands; be sure to slurp the sauce from the shrimp shells before peeling.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, cut through shell of 1½ pounds shrimp and devein but do not remove shell. Toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric until evenly coated and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
- While shrimp stand, toast 2 cinnamon sticks, 1½ teaspoons cloves, and 1 teaspoon cardamom pods in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burning, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer spices to spice grinder and let cool, then process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Set garam masala aside. (This makes more Bengali garam masala than required; remaining can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year.)
- Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of shrimp in single layer and cook until shells have turned bright pink, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 1½ teaspoons ghee. When ghee is melted, add 2 arbols, 2 tej patta, and remaining 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, and 4 cardamom pods, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup grated red onion and 2 teaspoons sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon turmeric and cook, stirring constantly until spices are well distributed, about 1 minute. Stir in 2–4 long green chiles, slit cut along 1 side, and 1 can coconut milk and bring to simmer.
- Add shrimp and any accumulated juices. Arrange shrimp in mostly single layer so they are nestled into sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until shrimp are just opaque and sauce is slightly thicker than heavy cream, 4 to 6 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through cooking. (If sauce is too thin by the time shrimp are cooked, remove shrimp with slotted spoon and continue to cook sauce until thickened.)
- Off heat, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon garam masala and drizzle with 1½ teaspoons melted ghee. Stir to incorporate. Remove whole spices, if desired, and serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
For our take on this classic Bengali curry, we used head-on, shell-on extra-jumbo shrimp in place of the giant head-on prawns that are used in Bengal. The shells protect the meat and add flavor to the dish. Tossing the shrimp with salt and turmeric ensured that the shrimp were seasoned and stayed moist; the turmeric enhanced the color of the shrimp and the curry. Briefly searing the shrimp firmed up their flesh. Tempering tej patta (Indian bay leaves), cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and dried arbol chiles flavored the oil that would then permeate the dish. Grated red onion and sugar imbued sweet flavor in the sauce without adding a disruptive texture. Grated fresh ginger followed, along with ground spices such as turmeric and Kashmiri chile powder for color and flavor. Whole green chiles added a touch of heat and fresh flavor and rich, full-fat coconut milk formed the base of the creamy sauce. Simmering the shrimp in the sauce gave them time to cook through while the sauce thickened and concentrated in flavor. A sprinkle of homemade Bengali garam masala made of cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon added a punch of fresh warmth at serving time, along with a drizzle of ghee for nutty richness.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Look for tej patta, Kashmiri chile powder, and 4- to 5-inch long green chiles at Indian or Pakistani markets; if unavailable, use laurel bay leaves, paprika plus a pinch of cayenne, and serranos. We prefer untreated shrimp, but if your shrimp are treated with sodium or preservatives like sodium tripolyphosphate, skip the salt in step 1 and increase the salt in step 5 to 1¼ teaspoons. We recommend using head-on shrimp, though head-off are also fine. If using head-on shrimp, use kitchen shears to snip off the eyes, antennae, and legs for a cleaner presentation. If desired, remove the sharp pointed piece (rostrum) between the eyes. We used Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, use only ¾ teaspoon for the shrimp and ¾ teaspoon in the sauce. We developed this recipe with full-fat Aroy-D coconut milk. The curry is typically served over fragrant Kalijira rice; alternatively, use jasmine rice. The dish is meant to be eaten with your hands; be sure to slurp the sauce from the shrimp shells before peeling.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, cut through shell of 1½ pounds shrimp and devein but do not remove shell. Toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric until evenly coated and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
- While shrimp stand, toast 2 cinnamon sticks, 1½ teaspoons cloves, and 1 teaspoon cardamom pods in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burning, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer spices to spice grinder and let cool, then process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Set garam masala aside. (This makes more Bengali garam masala than required; remaining can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year.)
- Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of shrimp in single layer and cook until shells have turned bright pink, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 1½ teaspoons ghee. When ghee is melted, add 2 arbols, 2 tej patta, and remaining 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, and 4 cardamom pods, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup grated red onion and 2 teaspoons sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon turmeric and cook, stirring constantly until spices are well distributed, about 1 minute. Stir in 2–4 long green chiles, slit cut along 1 side, and 1 can coconut milk and bring to simmer.
- Add shrimp and any accumulated juices. Arrange shrimp in mostly single layer so they are nestled into sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until shrimp are just opaque and sauce is slightly thicker than heavy cream, 4 to 6 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through cooking. (If sauce is too thin by the time shrimp are cooked, remove shrimp with slotted spoon and continue to cook sauce until thickened.)
- Off heat, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon garam masala and drizzle with 1½ teaspoons melted ghee. Stir to incorporate. Remove whole spices, if desired, and serve.
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