Busy Night Tandoori Shrimp

K is not a huge fan of shrimp. But I am, mostly because on a night when I am tired and do not want to get entangled in a fussy dinner, I can easily pull out the package of frozen raw shrimp tucked away at the back of my freezer. While she shrimp is defrosting under running water in a colander, I can feed my kitty, change and pour myself a glass of crispy clear Austrian Gewurztraminer and put the miseries of the day behind me.

I use a store-bought Tansoori spice mix for this recipe. Of course, I could make my own, but that would involve mincing the ginger and garlic, measuring out the seven different spice powders that tend to make people fear cooking Indian food. Sometimes even that is too much work.

Weeknight Tandoori Shrimp

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Tandoori Masala is not hard to make at home, and I do make it at home mostly. But sometimes I do run out, or come home so late that but for a growling stomach, I would not even bother myself with dinner; for those times, I keep a box of store-bought Tandoori Masala tucked away in my pantry, as well as ginger and garlic paste.

Note: If you want a little more sauce, then first remove the shrimp from the marinade and throw out half the marinade. Now add the shrimp back in and turning the heat down to medium-low, slowly add the shrimp and the marinade into the oil and cook for 5 mintues until the shrimp is cooked and you have a little sauce to eat with the rice.

Ingredients:

10-12 medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1 Tbsp Tandoori masala powder
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, tandoori masala powder and 1 Tbsp of the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp and mix so that the shrimp is completely coated with the marinade. Put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining Tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan over high heat. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and add to the pan in a single layer. Sear for 2 minutes on one side, flip, and sear for another minute or two on the other side. Serve with rice.