Chingri joltoba is a home dish from Barishal in which shrimp dumplings are not fried but poached straight in a coconut-milk curry. The recipe is by Shahnaz Setu.

For the dumplings: 400 grams of medium small shrimp, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon green chilli paste, a quarter teaspoon turmeric, salt to taste, half a teaspoon rice flour and 1 teaspoon mustard oil. Shell and wash the shrimp well, grind them fine, mix in everything else and rest for 15-20 minutes.

For the curry: one and a half cups coconut milk, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 4-5 green chillies, half a teaspoon ginger paste, half a teaspoon ground cumin, turmeric, a pinch of chilli powder, half a teaspoon each of salt and sugar, 4 tablespoons mustard oil, 1 bay leaf, 1 dried chilli, 2 slit green chillies and half a teaspoon ghee.

Heat the mustard oil and add the bay leaf and dried chilli. Add the ginger paste, turmeric, cumin and chilli powder with a little water and cook the spices well. Pour in the coconut milk and water, season with salt and sugar and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat just below medium. With wet hands, drop small portions of the shrimp mixture straight into the simmering curry. Once all are in, do not stir; just shake the pan gently by the handle. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 minutes, turn the dumplings once they firm up and cook 2 minutes more.

Finish with green chillies, garam masala and a little ghee, leave for a minute and take off the heat.

Photo: Sumon Yusuf, Prothom Alo

Source: Prothom Alo