Coconut Shrimp with Mustard Greens

This beautiful red and green dish comes together quickly and packs plenty of flavor. It's brightened by the use of coconut at the end. Don't let the long ingredient list deter you, I pulled out the ingredients in a single spice blend. For the most part, the ingredients in this recipe are probably fairly accessible, except for the nigella and fenugreek seeds. If you don't have nigella, just up the cumin seeds. If you don't have fenugreek, just up the mustard seeds.

As an aside, if you've been reading this blog for long, you've probably noticed that I'm obsessed with 660 Curries, but I'll be the first to note that the book can be a bit overwhelming. It appears the author is coming out with a new book in July that looks far more accessible (Indian Cooking Unfolded). It promises "no complex spice blends, no hard-to-find ingredients, no list longer than ten ingredients, and no excessive prep time needed." I obviously can't vouch for the book, but browsing on Amazon and knowing how good Iyer's recipes are, it's worth looking into. It appears that this book also has many more pictures than 660 Curries.

Coconut Shrimp with Mustard Greens (from 660 Curries)

Ingredients
2 tbsp mustard oil or canola oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp nigella seeds
1/4 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
4 dried red chiles, stems removed
8 ounces fresh mustard greens, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala of your choice
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut or 1/4 cup shredded dried, reconstituted

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in seeds and cook until aromatic, 10 - 15 seconds.
2. Add chiles and cook until blackened, 5 - 10 seconds.
3. Add mustard greens and garlic paste. Stir-fry until moisture evaporates and mixture starts to brown, 8 - 10 minutes.
4. Add tomato, salt, sugar, turmeric, and garam masala. Cook until tomato softens, 2 - 3 minutes.
5. Stir in shrimp and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and simmer until shrimp are cooked, 5 minutes.
6. Stir in coconut and serve.