Shrimp with Tomatoes

This recipe is from a friend who cooks excellent Indian food. Her home is older, and she proudly displays her collection of Indian spices in small glass jars in what used to be the ironing cabinet set into the wall of her kitchen. Her stories of what she made for dinner would make me envious.

This Tamatari Jhinga, or Shrimp with Tomatoes, is flavourful, not spicy hot like so many think ‘Indian’ is going to be. The fresh ginger is a real boost, as are items like the roasted mustard seeds and fresh lemon juice. It’s so fast to make, and most of the ingredients are likely to be in the kitchen already. We eat it with Basmati rice. Leftovers heat well, and I'm kind of playing with the idea of using this recipe as a base for developing it into a soup.

Tamatari Jhinga
1 lb shrimp, shelled
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 C chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Mix well. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mustards seeds and cover, allowing the seeds will pop for a few seconds.

3. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until the onion is golden.

4. Drain the marinade into the skillet (but not the shrimp).

5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes.

6. Add remaining salt and brown sugar, and stir.

7. Add the shrimp and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes and serve.