Shrimp Curry with Make-Ahead Onion-Tomato Masala

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A South Asian-style shrimp curry built on a deeply browned onion-tomato-ginger-garlic masala that you can cook days ahead. When dinner rolls around, loosen the masala with coconut milk, slide in the shrimp, and they're done in four minutes — plump, juicy, and never rubbery. Finish with lime and cilantro and serve with rice.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 5 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1 serrano chile, split lengthwise (seeds removed for less heat)
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chile powder or sweet paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 1.5 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped (or one 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with juice)
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 lb large shrimp (26/30), peeled and deveined, tails off
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt, for the shrimp
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 0.5 cup water or shrimp stock
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• 0.33 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• Steamed basmati rice or naan, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the masala: heat the oil in a wide 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook 30–45 seconds, until the mustard seeds crackle and pop.
2. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring every minute or two, for 12–15 minutes, until the onions are well past translucent — soft, shrunken, and deep golden brown at the edges. This browning is where the curry's body comes from, so don't rush it; lower the heat if they threaten to scorch.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the ginger, garlic, and split serrano and cook 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the raw garlic smell is gone.
4. Add the coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chile powder, and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices in the oil, then immediately add 2 tablespoons of water to keep them from burning and scrape the pan.
5. Add the tomatoes and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium heat, mashing the tomatoes against the pan with a spoon, for 12–15 minutes, until the mixture darkens to a brick red, pulls together into a thick paste, and you see oil separating at the edges. That oil break means the masala is done. Cool and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months at this point if making ahead.
6. Thirty minutes before serving, toss the shrimp with 3/4 teaspoon salt and let them sit at room temperature. Pat them dry just before cooking.
7. Set the masala over medium heat (add a splash of water if it was chilled and stiff). Stir in the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer — small bubbles only, never a rolling boil. Simmer 3 minutes to marry, then taste and adjust salt.
8. Slide the shrimp into the sauce in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes without stirring, then flip each one and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more, until they've just turned opaque and curled into loose C shapes. Pull the pan off the heat the moment they're done — carryover heat in the hot sauce will finish them.
9. Stir in the garam masala and lime juice off the heat. Let the curry rest 2 minutes, then scatter the cilantro over the top. Serve with basmati rice or naan and lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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