Don’t even think of eating this head-on shrimp fry with a fork, let your hands swing into action…
Yes, I am a die-hard fan of shrimp. If you are a constant visitor of my blog you might know this better than anyone else. May be because I grew up eating a hell a lot of shrimp, that too catch of the day shrimps. I love shrimp cooked any way, however my most favorite way of eating shrimp is by frying it. I want my shrimp fry to be spicy and aromatic, every bite should bring the word “yummm” out of my mouth. I usually fry the shrimp after removing its head and shell. But this time I wanted to try with the head and shell-on. I am glad that I tried it finally, as it tasted much tastier than the shelled ones.
I had a lot of fun not only frying the shrimp but also eating it using my both hands removing the shells and heads. Now that’s how you should eat shrimp. Do you think I thrashed the heads just like that from the fried shrimp? No way! I did thrash it but only after chewing it and sucking the juices from it, it was delicious. In fact, the head is the most flavorful part of the shrimp and by frying you could enjoy the head as well.
If you don’t like the shell and head, remove them. Marinate the shelled shrimp and fry them.
Head-on Shrimp fry
Ingredients:
- Head-on shrimp, cleaned and deveined, large- 12 (or use shelled shrimp)
- Ginger-Garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp
- Chili powder- 1 1/2 tsp ( depending upon your spice level)
- Ground pepper- 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
- Garam masala- 1/2 tsp ( whole cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon ground together)
- Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
- Salt- to taste
- Curry leaves- 1 sprig, add to the shrimp while frying
- Oil- enough for frying
How to devein and clean head-on shrimp:
- Wash the head-on shrimp thoroughly under running water.
- Cut the long whiskers off and the sharp points on the head, pat dry it.
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit over the shell and not over the head, where the vein is seen.
- Remove the vein from it.
- Try not to rip off the shell and the head.
Instruction:
- In a bowl, combine together ginger garlic paste, chili powder, ground pepper, turmeric powder, garam masala, lemon juice and 1 tbsp water to make a smooth paste.
- Spread the paste over the shrimp and marinate for 15 minutes or longer.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add enough oil for frying.
- Add the curry leaves into the oil and fry the shrimp until it turns golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the fried shrimp on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.
- Serve immediately when it is still warm.
Tips:
- Adjust the spice level according to your needs.
- You could also marinate the shrimp overnight which will enhance the taste of the fried shrimp greatly.
- Be careful while cleaning the head-on shrimp as its head has sharp points.
- Head-on shrimp, cleaned and deveined, large- 12 (or use shelled shrimp)
- Ginger-Garlic paste- ½ tbsp
- Chili powder- 1½ tsp ( depending upon your spice level)
- Ground pepper- ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
- Garam masala- ½ tsp ( whole cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon ground together)
- Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
- Salt- to taste
- Curry leaves- 1 sprig, add to the shrimp while frying
- Oil- enough for frying
- Wash the head-on shrimp thoroughly under running water.
- Cut the long whiskers off and the sharp points on the head, pat dry it.
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit over the shell and not over the head, where the vein is seen.
- Remove the vein from it.
- Try not to rip off the shell and the head.
- In a bowl, combine together ginger garlic paste, chili powder, ground pepper, turmeric powder, garam masala, lemon juice and 1 tbsp water to make a smooth paste.
- Spread the paste over the shrimp and marinate for 15 minutes or longer.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add enough oil for frying.
- Add the curry leaves into the oil and fry the shrimp until it turns golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the fried shrimp on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.
- Serve immediately when it is still warm.
You could also marinate the shrimp overnight which will enhance the taste of the fried shrimp greatly.
Be careful while cleaning the head-on shrimp as its head has sharp points.
