Indian Stir Fried Shrimp

This is a recipe I adapted from www.allrecipes.com, years ago - it's in our monthly rotation, and I love that I can pull it together fast!


Indian Stir-Fried Shrimp (Bhagari Jhinga) 


PREP TIME 20 Min 
COOK TIME 10 Min 
READY IN 30 Min 
Original recipe yield: 4 servings 

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon white sugar 
1 teaspoon garam masala 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1 cup coconut milk 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined 
1 tablespoon cornstarch 
1 tablespoon cold water

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together tomato paste, salt, sugar, garam masala, ground cumin seed, ground red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Set coconut sauce aside. 
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onions until tender, then remove and set aside in a separate bowl. When oil is hot, add garlic, and cook until it begins to brown. Add shrimp, and cook until shrimp is opaque; this should take only a minute or two. Pour the coconut sauce over the shrimp; cook until the sauce begins to simmer. Add onions to wok. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water; stir into the sauce, and continue cooking until thick. 


MODIFICATIONS: I've added up to a teaspoon of red pepper at times, because we like our food spicy! But it's just as good with less red pepper. Served over basmati rice.