Parsi Shrimp Patia Recipe

Marinate shrimp

Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. In a bowl toss shrimp with turmeric, kosher salt, black pepper and lime juice. Set aside to marinate while you make the spice paste (10–15 minutes).

Toast whole spices

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Make paste

Place toasted spices, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, green chili, tomatoes and white pepper into a blender or food processor. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water and blend to a smooth paste (slightly coarse is fine). Set aside.

Heat oil and temper

Heat the oil in a wide skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. If using, add mustard seeds and let them pop (about 30 seconds), then add curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida and stir briefly.

Cook paste

Add the prepared spice-tomato-onion paste to the pan. Sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the raw smell cooks off and the oil begins to separate from the paste, about 8–10 minutes. If the paste sticks, add a splash of water.

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste (if using) and cook 1 minute. Dissolve tamarind paste in the hot water, then add to the pan. Add jaggery and salt, reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce gently for 5 minutes to let flavors marry. Taste and adjust sweetness or tang: add more jaggery for sweet or more tamarind for tang.

Cook shrimp

Increase heat to medium. Add the marinated shrimp in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink and just opaque, about 3–5 minutes depending on size. Do not overcook. If the sauce looks too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons of water to reach desired consistency.

Finish

Stir in chopped cilantro and the slit green chili. Turn off heat and let the curry rest for 2 minutes so flavors settle. Adjust salt, jaggery or tamarind if needed.

Serve the shrimp patia hot over jeera rice (about 1 cup cooked rice per serving) with lemon wedges on the side. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.