The Saffron TouchshrimpWorld cuisine with an Indian touch...

Grilled Harissa shrimps

I love spicy food. When I go the farmers market, I am always looking for the spiciest chili. So in summer when we get the fresh red thai chili in the market, I make at least a couple of batches of Harissa. It can perk up any dish pretty quickly.

I like to make these shrimps using Harissa, the dish comes together very quickly and can be served as a main dish or a salad.

Shrimps don’t need a lot of marination so this dish can be made in 20 minutes.

Although Harissa is Tunisian I feel that the Mediterranean flavors compliment it well. So I decide to bring those along.I also brought in some more Mediterranean flavors with a quick salad. I took some yellow and Red cherry tomatoes, chopped Persian cucumbers and mix them with fresh chopped mint and topped with feta cheese.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

20 large shrimps
1 large clove of garlic crushed
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp Harissa
1 tbsp oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients except to form a paste. Now add shrimps and mix well. Make sure all the shrimps are coated evenly with the paste.

Let them marinate for 20 mins or so.

Pomegranate molasses not only provides the sweetness to balance the heat from Harissa but also add a tangy flavor & color to the shrimps.

Grill on a grill plate or bbq. Brush the shrimps with some oil of needed to prevent them from sticking to the grill.

I like to thread some tomatoes or large zucchini pieces along with the shrimps, I feel it adds a Pop of color and texture.

You can serve the shrimps as a side with brown rice and some grilled fruit. Today I grilled some nectarines, the sweetness of the grilled fruit complimented the spice of harissa.

You can mix them with a lot of chopped herbs like basil and cilantro and serve as an appetizer. I love making this version in summer when the herbs are in abundance in the market.

I use Harissa in many dishes, like Pumpkin Shrimp curry, or Cheddar Muffins. Enjoy!

Shrimps in smoky chipotle sauce

Last night’s meal was theme based and the theme was ‘Smoke’. All the dishes made had an element of ‘smoke’. It also had another common theme that the flavors were from Mexican/Latin cuisine. So I made three dishes, ‘Barley risotto’, Roasted corn and Mango Salad’ & Chipotle shrimps. It was yummy. I loved the fact that it used the summer ingredients and was perfect for the warm weather.

I try to ensure that the meals are balanced so in this meal with have barley for the starch, shrimps for the protein and corn & mango for the vegetables.

Shrimps in smoky chipotle sauce

The recipes was based on many recipes I have read and eaten, so thank you to those folks for inspiring me. It is easy to make and you can play with the ingredients to get the right taste for your family.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb of shrimps, peeled and deveined

1 tsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp flour

1 large tomato , quarterd

1/2 large white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 chipotle chilies

2 tbsp cilantro

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tbsp molasses

1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp paprika

Method

Saute the onions and garlic until tender, dont let them burn. Grind the tomatoes, along with the sauted onions & garlic.

Take the shrimps in a bowl,add some salt, crushed garlic, chopped cilantro & mix it well. Add a couple of tbsp of flour and mix well.

Heat some more oil in a pan. Sauté the shrimps till then are a little under done. Remember they will cook more when we heat them up with the sauce. Take the shrimps out on a plate.

In the same pan, add some more oil or butter. Add the blended tomato paste to the pan and cook for a few minutes, add molasses and worchestire sauce to taste. Once the sauce comes together nicely, add back the shrimps.

Serve with a rice or potatoes on the side. Last night I served it with the Barley Risotto & Roasted Corn Salsa.