Ingredients
Chettinad Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
(dhaniya ke beej)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
(jeera)
- 5 whole dried red chili peppers
- 1 star anise
- 1 whole black cardamom pods
(badi elaichi)
- 1 whole green cardamom pods
(hari elaichi)
- 4 whole cloves
(laung)
- 1 cinnamon stick
( inch piece dalchini)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
(saunf)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
(poore kaalee mirch)
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
(methi ke beej)
- 1 tsp poppy seeds (khaskhas)
- 1 mace
(javitri)
- 1 tbsp dried desiccated coconut
Curry Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil of choice
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
(rai)
- 2 whole dried red chili peppers
- 12 curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
(heeng)
- 1 red onion finely chopped (approximately 1 and 3/4 cup chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
(freshly minced or packaged) - 1 tomato diced
- 1 serrano pepper slit lenghtwise but intact (green chili pepper)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
(haldi)
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
(ground cayenne pepper) - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
(dhaniya powder)
- 1 tsp chettinad spice mix (recipe above)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 and 1/4 cups shrimp (frozen deveined shrimp, 50 – 70 count per pound)
- 1 and 1/4 tsp tamarind concentrate
Method
Chettinad spice mix
- Heat a pan on low-medium heat.
- Add all the spices listed under Chettinad spice mix and dry roast them. (It should take about 5 to 8 minutes). Keep stirring.
- Turn off heat and transfer them in a blender / grinder. Once the roasted Chettinad spice mix ingredients have cooled down to room temperature, blend it to a fine powder.
- For this recipe you will require only 1 tsp of the spice mix. You can store the remaining in an air-tight container for up to 4 months.
Prep for curry
- Wash and finely chop the onion and dice the tomato. Wash and slit the serrano pepper.
Cook
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal.
- Add oil to the pot.
- When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, whole dried red chili peppers, curry leaves, and asafeotida.
- When the mustard seeds crackle, add the onions, and stir. Keep stirring occasionally.
- When the onions turn golden in roughly for 2 to 4 minutes add the ginger garlic paste.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and serrano pepper, and sauté for a few minutes until the tomatoes get mushy for 2 minutes. Keep stirring.
- Then add ground turmeric, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, chettinad masala powder, and water. Stir well.
- Add the shrimp and stir. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot well.
- Press cancel.
- Secure the lid on the pot and close the pressure-release valve.
- Select manual and cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
- When cooking is complete, use quick pressure release to depressurize.
- Open the lid.
- Select sauté and add the tamarind concentrate. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Press cancel.
- Transfer in a serving bowl immediately.
Serve
- Serve with naan (Indian flatbread), rotis, steamed rice, or parathas.
Notes
- This recipe has been tried on a 6-quart instant pot. The proportions may vary depending on the size of the instant pot you choose to use.
- All the ingredients can be easily found in an Indian grocery store.
- The shrimp can be purchased in the frozen aisle of most leading grocery stores.
- Ground cayenne pepper and red chili powder can be used interchangeably as both of them make the dish spicy. So if you don’t have red chili powder you can use cayenne pepper instead.