- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
- 1 pound large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 24 curry leaves, roughly tom (optional)
- 4 dried red chiles
- 1 teaspoon ground peppercorns
- A 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Sambhaar, or ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- To make the marinade, place all of the ingredients in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, toss to coat, and refrigerate.
- Set ½ cup of water next to the stovetop. Heat the oil with the curry leaves (if using) and chiles in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the curry leaves start to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground peppercorns and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the ginger, onion, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes, sprinkling with water and stirring whenever the onion and ginger begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the garlic, coriander, and turmeric and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping the browned bits up from the sides and bottom of the pot, for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the Sambhaar and cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the coconut milk and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled and opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.