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Chingri bhorta
চিংড়ি ভর্তা (chingri bhorta): Bangladeshi small shrimp dry-fried and mashed with onion, chilli and mustard oil
Chingri bhorta is the bhorta most likely to win over newcomers: tiny fresh shrimp, the kind sold by the heap in every bazar, dry-fried until pink and toasty, then mashed by hand with raw onion, green chilli, coriander and a trickle of pungent mustard oil. It is sweet from the shrimp, sharp from the onion and hot from the chilli, and it is eaten in small balls with hot rice, often alongside aloo bhorta and begun bhorta. It takes less than half an hour and works perfectly well with frozen small prawns. A typical error is adding oil to the pan, which stews the shrimp instead of toasting them; dry heat brings out their sweetness. Chef's tip: rub the mash with your fingertips rather than a blender, so it stays rough and the onion keeps its crunch.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the bhorta
- 9 oz small raw shrimp or prawns, peeledpatted very dry
- 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 /4 tsp salt
- 1 red onionvery finely chopped
- 3 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 2 dried red chilliestoasted
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toss 9 oz small raw shrimp or prawns, peeled with 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric and 3 /4 tsp salt.
Step 2: Put them in a dry, heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the shrimp are pink, opaque and lightly toasted at the edges.
8 minStep 3: Toast 2 dried red chillies in the same pan for about 1 minute until crisp and fragrant.
2 minStep 4: Tip the shrimp and chillies onto a board, cool for a minute, then chop finely or pound in a mortar to coarse crumbs.
3 minStep 5: In a bowl, rub the shrimp with 1 red onion, 3 green chillies, 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 2 tbsp mustard oil using your fingertips until it clumps together. Taste for salt and serve in small balls with hot rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chingri bhorta take?
- About 22 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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