SAUTEED SHRIMP WITH COCONUT AND MUSTARD

Sauteed Shrimp with Coconut and Mustard image

Provided by Chitrita Banerji

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 small coconut or 1 cup thawed frozen grated coconut
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
7 small fresh Thai chiles (2 to 3 inches; preferably green), 6 slit lengthwise on one side(not all the way through)
3 tablespoons water
1 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Special Equipment
an electric coffee/spice grinder; a mortar and pestle (optional); a wok

Steps:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
If using whole coconut, pierce 2 softest eyes of coconut with a small screwdriver or a metal skewer, then drain and discard liquid. Bake whole coconut 15 minutes. Break shell with a hammer and remove flesh, levering it out carefully with screwdriver or point of a strong knife. Finely shred enough coconut to measure 1 cup using the 1/8-inch-wide holes of a box grater.
Finely grind mustard seeds with a pinch of salt in grinder. Finely chop whole chile (without slit) and mash in mortar with pestle along with ground mustard seeds and a pinch of salt until chile is finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon water. Mix to a paste. (Alternatively, very finely chop chile, then stir with mustard seeds and water to form a paste.)
Toss shrimp with turmeric and salt.
Heat oil in wok over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté shrimp, stirring, until it just turns pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add grated coconut, mustard paste, remaining 6 chiles, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Sauté, stirring, until water is absorbed and shrimp are well coated, about 2 minutes more.