Malvani Masala Feijao with Shrimp

Ingredients-

• 1 cup dry feijao beans
• 12 medium sized shrimp/ prawns

For the shrimp marinade-

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• Sea salt to taste

For the masala-

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• ½ inch piece of cinnamon
• 2 medium red onions, sliced thin
• 3 medium cloves of garlic
• ½ cup shredded dry coconut
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

Other ingredients-

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 small onion finely diced

To make the Malvani Masala Feijao with Shrimp

1. Clean, wash and soak the feijao beans with plenty of water for 8 hours or overnight. Add salt to taste and cook the beans in Instant pot on the bean setting.
2. Clean and rinse the shrimp and drain. Add to it the turmeric powder, chili powder and sea salt and let it marinate.
3. Meanwhile, make the masala. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the coriander seeds, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon, in that order, until the coriander seeds are deep golden brown and the other spices swell up and are fragrant. Remove from pan.
4. In the same pan, in the remaining oil, sauté the sliced onion and the garlic cloves until the onion starts to caramelize and the garlic is blistered and golden but not burnt. Add the shredded dry coconut and stir fry until it is toasted and golden. Add the chili powder and stir for a few seconds. Remove from heat.
5. Grind together all the sautéed mixture with the tamarind pulp.
6. In a deep sauce pan, add the coconut oil and sauté the finely diced onion until it is golden.
7. Add the marinated shrimp and stir. When the shrimp looks translucent, add the cooked beans and the ground masala. Add water according to how thick or thin you like the gravy. I like a thinner gravy as I like to soak my bread in it! Yum!
8. Let the whole mixture simmer on low for about 6 to 8 minutes or so, making sure the shrimp is cooked. The flavor deepens as it cools, so I make it a day ahead and reheat before eating.
9. Enjoy with bread (paav), chapatti or rice.

Notes-

•  This recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the shrimp.
• Potatoes can also be added to the Malvani Masala Feijao with shrimp.
• Dried shrimp/ prawns can also be added to the the Malvani Masala Feijao instead of fresh shrimp/ prawns.
• You can adjust the water according to how thick or thin you want the gravy.