Royyala Vepudu

We went to an Indian restaurant in Little India for dinner yesterday and I must say that they serve really good South Indian Andhra style dishes. We ordered Royyala Vepudu and it was just simply amazing. After I got back home, I googled for the recipe and made this dish for lunch today. Everyone at home said that my dish was so much better and tastier than the one they ate at the restaurant :)

     

Ingredients

2 lbs shrimp - shelled and deveined
2 large red onions - diced
2 tbsps ginger-garlic paste
1 large handful of curry leaves - washed and drained
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp paprika or kashmiri chilli powder for the red color without the heat
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsps coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsps lime/lemon juice
2 heaping tbsps of shredded coconut - finely ground with a little bit of water to make a coconut paste
4 tbsps cooking oil
salt and sugar to taste
a handful of coriander leaves - cleaned and chopped finely

Directions

1. Pat dry shrimp with a clean towel.
2. Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel.
3. When oil is hot add in the diced onion and curry leaves. Add a bit of salt to expedite the frying.
4. Once onions are translucent and become slighlt brown, add in the ginger-garlic paste and continue frying. Make sure that you keep stirring otherwise the ginger garlic paste will burn.
5. Once the raw smell of the gubger-garlic paste is gone, add in the shrimp and continue frying for about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Turn the heat to medium and add in all the turmeric, chilli powder, paprika or kashmiri chilli powder, pepper powder and coriander powder.
7. Keep stirring until the raw smell of the chilli powder and the other dry powders are gone.
8. Next add in the coconut paste and keep stirring until the oil starts to separate. You will get a very nice aroma from the dish.
9. Pour the lime/lemon juice and garam masala powder. Add salt and sugar to taste.
10. Lastly mix in the chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed basmati rice.