JHINGA VINDALOO

We absolutely love anything Vindaloo! I've tried Pork Vindaloo, Chicken Vindaloo and now, Jhinga Vindaloo. All of them are loved by us,equally!Jhinga is the Hindi word for Shrimp / Prawns and I love the how rustic it sounds. It makes the dish feel so exotic and delicious,just how it turned out to be. I am a big Shrimp lover but I don't like it when it's served cold.Same is the case with other seafood. I like seafood to be spicy,juicy,fiery hot and full of flavour.

Whenever I hear the word Vindaloo, it reminds me of Goa. Amma used to make Pork Vindaloo very often at home so we never order it at any restaurant. A few years back when I visited Goa, Tia, my cousin, took me to one of her favourite restaurants there. I don't remember what I ordered but I know Tia ordered a vindaloo. I was really excited to try it out but somehow it wasn't to my liking. It was just not how Amma made it.

That experience made me realize that every household makes it different. So does the restaurants.It's just not the same anywhere.There might be one or two common ingredients but other than that, nothing is common.The most common ingredient is white vinegar. So, when I decided to try this recipe out, I was visualising it in my mind how the end result would be. This Jhinga Vindaloo is orangish-yellow and the curry has a kick from the vingear and spices used in it and I really loved it! Love all of Mr. Raghavan Iyer's recipes from 660 Curries!

JHINGA VINDALOO
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,ground
10 raw cashewnuts, ground
1 teaspoon cayenne / red chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup white vinegar, warmed in the microwave for 15 seconds
1 pound shrimp,cleaned & peeled but with tails on
2 tablespoons canola oil
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method: Mix together all the ingredients from coriander seeds through vingear to make a thin paste. Pour this over the shrimp and toss well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
In a wide pan, heat the oil on medium high and add the shrimp in one layer. Let it sear for 1 minute on each side. Pour the remaining marinade over and reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 mins or until the sauce is almost absorbed. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Ian loved the curry and was asking for 'Chemmen', a new word that is. He is a sport when it comes to food, I think he is more like Jobin that way. I am a little reserved. I always have a list of things that I would never eat :)
This curry is so good and perfect for weeknight dinner.If you do try this out, don't forget to come back and tell me how you liked it!