Spicy Coconut Shrimp

This is another recipe another recipe for Coconut Shrimp. I add a few interesting layers of spices, hence the name Spicy Coconut Shrimp. Duh! You knew that!  The interesting thing done to this recipe is that I brine the shrimp before I do other good things to it. As in adding spices, coating in sweet moist coconut and breadcrumbs and then frying them until nice and crisp. In short, perfect food for the holidays! If you are into crispy shrimp of sorts, the crispy shrimp cutlet from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles is worth a try.

Thankfully I made a double batch of these last week. The past two days have been hell on wheels for me. Yes, I totally made up that term to be dramatic.  But, starting with a crazy day, and ending with a totaled car, and yours truly in the hospital it has been awful.  I am currently, without a car, a little sore but beginning to get back to my routine. I am unsure about wanting to get back into a car right away. My game plan for tomorrow includes mega cooking in a comforting kind of way. Maybe nature ordered some slowdown for Christmas. And my net conclusion is that this recipe can be frozen well.

About Brining the Spicy Coconut Shrimp

Brining the shrimp does for shrimp what brining chicken or turkey does for the turkey. It makes the shrimp moist and juicy. Brining is soaking the shrimp in a salt solution, ideally for 1 hour but 30 minutes will do if in a hurry. The first time I had brined shrimp, I did it just for the heck of it. I am quite the believer. I believe that this technique makes a huge difference when you are going to enjoy the shrimp in a drier preparation such as grilling the shrimp. For a more involved take on brining, check out my brined holiday turkey.

How to enjoy the Spicy Coconut Shrimp

Honestly, pieces of this sweet and spicy shrimp are just perfect in pieces right off the plate. But then, it is also so much fun with a dipping sauce.  But then again, what is an appetizer without dunking. Just adding in sriracha onto mayonnaise is a great idea. And then there is tamarind chutney or green chutney which are all good ideas.

 

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Lime, Ginger and Green Chili Fried Shrimp

Prep Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Lime, Ginger and Green Chili Fried Shrimp

A delightful recipe for brined and well-spiced fried shrimp. That extra hour is well worth the effort.

Ingredients

    For the brine
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • 2 limes
  • 1 and 1/2 pounds of large shrimp, shelled, de-veined and tails left on
    • For the Spice Paste
  • 1 inch ginger peeled
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 pod garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
    • For the batter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • water as needed
    • For the coating
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs preferably, panko
  • 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Canola Oil for Frying
    • To Garnish
  • Snipped Chiles and your favorite finishing herb

Instructions

  1. Stir in the water and kosher salt. Cut the limes and squeeze in the juice. Submerge the shrimp in this mixture. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  2. Drain the shrimp and rinse off. You will notice your shrimp is noticeably firmer and plumper.
  3. Toss the shrimp in the minced ginger, garlic green chilies and the yogurt.
  4. Next prepare an assembly line of sorts. You want to be able to dunk the shrimp in the batter, roll well in the coating, and then place on a chilling surface. I like to use a parchment lined baking sheet for the last step.
  5. Beat the egg, stir in the flour, salt and 2/4 cup water. Gradually add to ensure a thick consistency.
  6. Mix together the cornstarch, panko, coconut flakes and the salt and spread on a flat surface such as a large plate.
  7. Separately, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Dip each piece of shrimp into the batter and roll into the coconut panko mixture, coating thoroughly and then place on the paper lined baking sheet.
  9. When all the shrimp is done, lightly cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  10. Heat the oil (about 2 cups) in a medium sized wok. Add the shrimp, a few pieces at a time. Allow it to fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turn and give it a couple of minutes more. Drain on paper towels and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

A lot of the prep time is for brining and resting the shrimp, but this recipe is one of the more complex recipes on this site.

https://spicechronicles.com/spicy-coconut-shrimp/

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