Iranian Shrimp Stew

This dish comes from Bushehr province south of Iran, processing Persian Gulf's tasty shrimps into an aromatic and delicious stew. Persian Gulf states' and provinces' cuisine is impacted by Indian cuisine; therefore one could see the similarity between the spirit of both cuisines.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 21 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 51 mins
• Calories: 398 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
• 1 large onion
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 7 cloves garlic
• 2 red chile peppers, chopped, divided
• 2 ¼ pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 dried whole lime
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried whole lime powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix chopped tomato, 1 chile, garlic, and ginger paste together in a bowl.

Step 2

Soak tamarind pulp in 1 cup water for 15 minutes. Rub tamarind by hand to loosen the seeds. Add flour and mix well. Filter the mixture through a sieve; discard residue.

Step 3

Heat oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp; saute until shrimp is opaque and oil hisses, about 6 minutes. Mix in remaining chile, diced tomato, tomato paste, and dried whole lime. Add black pepper, turmeric, and lime powder; stir to combine.

Step 4

Pour boiling water into the shrimp mixture; add cilantro and the tamarind-flour mixture. Mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat. Let simmer until stew is nicely thickened, about 45 minutes. Add salt; simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes more.