Goan Shrimp and Radish Curry

My mum was a marvelous cook! She could make anything tasty! I think most of my love of food came from her love of cooking for us. This is one of our favorite dishes and one of the few I can duplicate thanks to her patience for translating “this much…” into “1/2 tsp…”. This is her Shrimp and Radish Curry, authentically Goan and my notes to make it just like hers are below.

Mum would use the long white radish readily available in just about any grocery store you go to – see the picture below. If you can’t find it, any and all Asian grocery stores will carry it. It is delicious when cut and soaked in salted water for a quick pickle, or julienned into a salad and of course, cooked in a curry. Substitute regular radish if you can’t find white radish. It won’t be authentic, but it will be just as good. Peel the radish and cut it into ¼” slices and then each slice into 4 pieces. The radish gets cooked in the liquid for about 5 – 7 minutes until al dente, then the shrimp get added in. I like to use 1 lb of the 31-40 count shrimp – I find them the perfect size, but use any size you like. They will only take a few minutes to cook.   The only addition I made to this recipe is the Thai chilies which my mum got used to me adding to everything 🙂.

The spices are really simple – equal amounts of ground cumin, ground coriander and ground turmeric. That gives enough spice to the dish. What finishes if off and gives it that unique taste is the addition of vinegar and sugar “seasoning”– balanced perfection. Mum used to finish off a lot of Goan dishes using this combination, I do as well! It is a matter of achieving the balance in those ingredients that will make this dish. As with any seasoning, start with less of each – taste, season and taste again. This recipe calls for 3 tbsp. of vinegar and 2 tsp of sugar. There are so many different kinds of vinegars out there, but you want the plain white vinegar, mum used the Heinz brand. If you are using strong vinegar i.e. pickling vinegar, you will definitely want to cut back on the quantity, maybe start with 1 tbsp. 

Finally, don’t add too much water when cooking the spices – ¼ cup is about right. More than that and you will end up with way too much curry (not to mention diluted taste). The radish and shrimp will also release a little liquid so in this case, so less water is better. Check it during the cooking process. This recipe will be an instant success for you. It is one of the few recipes I was smart enough to write down word for word as she showed me. Most other times, I just took over the kitchen and made her play coach. Sometimes I would listen and sometimes I would pretend I didn’t hear what she said – but only when it disagreed with what I wanted to do (I know, couldn’t you just smack me!). Wash your hands, wear a mask, socialize responsibly and above all stay safe! We will get through this! As always – enjoy!