The Saffron TouchshrimpsWorld 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!

Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

It all started when I made Harissa, fresh red chilies from the market called for it. Along with using the Harissa as a condiment, I was looking for different ways to use Harissa in the cooking. So when I saw nice pumpkin in the market, I decide to make a dish that uses both the pumpkin and the Harissa. So here I present Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa.

I had seen a recipe for a pumpkin curry and my recipe is inspired by that. The squash/pumpkin makes the dish very creamy without adding a lot of fat. The spice from Harissa, sweetness from squash/pumpkin, tang from the lime juice…it is a perfect balance of all flavors.

Sorry I did not take a lot of pictures when I made it for dinner, but I will try to write all the steps in detail so it will be easy to follow.

Pumpkin Shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

Ingredients

1lb shrimps cleaned

1/2 onion chopped fine

1 roma tomato chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic chopped fine

1/2 inch ginger chopped fine

1 squash/pumpkin

1/2 tsp curry powder ( I make my own at home)

1/2 tsp Harissa Paste

2 cups of chicken broth( you can also use veg broth or plain water)

1/2 can of coconut milk

Chopped cilantro

lime zest

1 tsp lime juice

Fried onions ( I usually make a large batch and keep in the fridge since I use it in many dishes)

Method

Clean the butternut squash. Chop 1/2 of the squash/pumpkin in small cubes. Arrange them on a baking sheet, drizzle some oil and salt and bake in a 350F oven for 10 mins.

Take the rest of the squash/pumpkin and cook it in the pressure cooker till soft. Once cooled make puree in the blender.

Take shrimps and marinate with a bit of salt, lime juice and harissa paste, keep aside for 10-15 mins.

In a wok, heat oil.

Add onions and ginger and saute on a low-medium heat. You dont want them to burn.

Add tomato and garlic and saute a little longer. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the pumpkin puree and saute for 10 mins till the pumpkin is brown.

Add curry powder and saute for 30 secs. Now add the stock, coconut milk and simmer on low for 15-20 mins.

Add the roasted squash/pumpkin, shrimps and continue heating till the roasted squash/pumpkin is heated through.

Add lime juice. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Garnish with lime zest, cilantro and fried onions and serve with cooked brown rice.

Note:

I think this can be easily made without shrimps. You can substitute tofu or add more squash/pumpkin to make a vegetarian version of this dish.