My blind date with shrimps – a small story about how my love affair with Shrimp began…
I stayed in Mumbai for a couple of months in 2006, during my internship at CNBC. Mumbai, with its sheer size and fast pace, intimidated me. I reached out to a few friends who lived in Mumbai, seeking comfort in the familiar. One evening, I met Abhishek, my friend from Jaipur. I met him after many, many years. We chatted for a long time on Bandstand, by the sea.
Abhishek had a great job and was earning well! So, he offered to take me out for dinner — To…Mahesh Lunch Home. What!?? I thought Abhishek was being such a cheapskate, taking me to a dhaba.
To my surprise, the place turned out to be much fancier. When Abhishek asked me whether I liked seafood, I nodded confidently. Seafood to me, after all, meant fish. I had known no other. As he ordered, I dreaded the idea of venturing into the unknown.
Soon enough, I faced a large platter of tandoori tiger prawns (shrimps) that he had ordered as an appetizer. I nervously took the first bite, and then the second….and by the time I finished the first , I found myself reaching out for the second, and then some more. I loved the juicy and flavorful preparation.
[Abhishek, you may be surprised, but you were the one who introduced me to shrimps…and thank you for that, my dear friend!!]
And my love affair with shrimp began that evening. Now, whenever dining out, I almost always order shrimps (if on the menu). Surprisingly though, I never cooked shrimps at home for the longest time, assuming these little buddies were pretty complicated to clean and cook.
However, when I watched this super simple recipe on Food Network TV channel, I could not resist trying. I was so motivated, that I bought shrimps the same day and surprised the husband with a fantastic meal.
This is a simple preparation, which requires very few ingredients and takes little time; yet it tastes awesome. Try it and you would want to make it again, soon.
Which are your favorite shrimp recipes? I would love to know. Please share them in the comments window at the bottom of this post.
I stayed in Mumbai for a couple of months in 2006, during my internship at CNBC. Mumbai, with its sheer size and fast pace, intimidated me. I reached out to a few friends who lived in Mumbai, seeking comfort in the familiar. One evening, I met Abhishek, my friend from Jaipur. I met him after many, many years. We chatted for a long time on Bandstand, by the sea.
Abhishek had a great job and was earning well! So, he offered to take me out for dinner — To…Mahesh Lunch Home. What!?? I thought Abhishek was being such a cheapskate, taking me to a dhaba.
To my surprise, the place turned out to be much fancier. When Abhishek asked me whether I liked seafood, I nodded confidently. Seafood to me, after all, meant fish. I had known no other. As he ordered, I dreaded the idea of venturing into the unknown.
Soon enough, I faced a large platter of tandoori tiger prawns (shrimps) that he had ordered as an appetizer. I nervously took the first bite, and then the second….and by the time I finished the first , I found myself reaching out for the second, and then some more. I loved the juicy and flavorful preparation.
[Abhishek, you may be surprised, but you were the one who introduced me to shrimps…and thank you for that, my dear friend!!]
And my love affair with shrimp began that evening. Now, whenever dining out, I almost always order shrimps (if on the menu). Surprisingly though, I never cooked shrimps at home for the longest time, assuming these little buddies were pretty complicated to clean and cook.
However, when I watched this super simple recipe on Food Network TV channel, I could not resist trying. I was so motivated, that I bought shrimps the same day and surprised the husband with a fantastic meal.
This is a simple preparation, which requires very few ingredients and takes little time; yet it tastes awesome. Try it and you would want to make it again, soon.
Which are your favorite shrimp recipes? I would love to know. Please share them in the comments window at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2½ tbsp olive oil
- ¾ pound linguine
- 1½ tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 pound large shrimps/prawns (about 16 shrimps, peeled and deveined)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- ½ lemon, zest grated
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large or 2 small lemons)
- ¼ lemon, thinly sliced in rounds
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt to taste (add less salt, if you use regular butter)
Steps
- Boil water in a large pot, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and some salt, add lingune and cook for 7-10 minutes or as per the directions on the packet
- When cooked, drain the excess water and return linguine to the pot
- Heat olive oil in another large, heavy bottomed pan; add butter and let it melt on low heat (adding butter to the olive oil, prevents the butter from burning)
- Add minced garlic, saute for about a minute and ensure the garlic does not burn (burnt garlic tastes good only in Indian food!)
- Add the shrimps, salt and pepper, sauté until they have just turned pink (about 5 minutes), stirring often
- Remove from the heat, add half the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes; toss to combine
- Add the cooked linguine to lemon sauce and shrimp; again toss well
- Garnish with the remaining parsley and lemon slices, before serving
Hungry Palette 