Exclusive Recipe by Chef Vikas Khanna

Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna, is an entrepreneur with a vision. An nternationally recognized chef, restaurateur, food writer, filmmaker, television host and humanitarian, he is certainly a force in the culinary world.

Piri Piri Shrimp

This dish is one of the favorites on our appetizer list at Junoon. Its origins are in Goan cooking which evolved with considerable influence from the Portuguese who used Goa as a trading port for many years. People request this dish often for catering. If served as an appetizer it will serve four to six people. We pair it with avocado, chaat masala and raita in the restaurant.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 16 – 20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ medium red onion, finely chopped, about one cup
• ½ teaspoon red hot chile flakes, or more to taste
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• pinch of sugar
• ½ cup tomato purée
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 - 4 fresh curry leaves cut into a chiffonade of fine strips

Make the sauce:

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to pan and when oil is hot fry the mustard seeds stirring constantly until they begin to crackle, about one minute. Add the onion to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring frequently. When the onion is softened slightly, add the garlic and the hot chiles flakes and continue to cook, stirring frequently until he garlic is cooked, about five minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, garam masala, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, salt and sugar to the pan along with the vinegar and tomato purée. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Let the piri piri sauce simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes. For a refined texture, remove the pan from heat and let cool for fifteen minutes before processing in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to heat and let simmer gently while cooking the shrimp.

Cook the Shrimp:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add the curry leaves and shrimp to the pan and sauté, stirring and shaking the pan for two to three minutes until the shrimp is no longer transparent. Add the sauce to the shrimp, reduce the heat to low and let simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about three more minutes. Taste for salt and then serve immediately accompanied by avocado, raita and fresh baked naan.