So, here’s the thing about shrimps. They may be tiny—in fact they are some of the tiniest crustaceans compared to crabs and lobsters—but they taste brilliant. Yes, they do take some effort to shell and devein properly, but you can always get that bit done by your local fish vendor or online food delivery partners—that's the bit that has definitely become much easier these days. So ideally, there’s nothing stopping you from cooking up these Crispy Rock Shrimps for a starter tonight, except maybe the little time and effort it requires.
Truth be told, no starter is as easy as these Crispy Rock Shrimps. And while there are many delicious starters and appetizers out there, this one wins brownie points for being crunchy outside, tender inside, and so yummy that you end up asking for and reaching for more. I first tasted Crispy Rock Shrimps at a Delhi restaurant and paid a good amount for it. It was a get-together of friends from different universities in the city, so we were all students looking for a shared plate of delicious food. We could only afford a plate of these Crispy Rock Shrimps to be honest, but we ordered another plate because we couldn’t get enough of it.
While at home on a break from university, I tried making Crispy Rock Shrimps at home. It was shrimp season in Kolkata, so half a kilo of it came quite cheap (cheaper than the finished dish at that Delhi restaurant for sure). On checking the recipe, I discovered that every other ingredient was easily available at home. So, my experiment with Crispy Rock Shrimps at home proved that when cooked by a home cook, the dish is very pocket-friendly and easy. The dish has never taken me more than 20-30 minutes to whip up, no matter how large the batch.
If you too are looking for a delicious, restaurant-style starter to cook up at home, then these Crispy Rock Shrimps are tailor-made for you. Here’s the recipe you need to give it a try at home.
Ingredients:
500 g shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 eggs
¾ cup refined flour
¼ cup cornflour
1 tsp black pepper powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp baking soda
Salt, to taste
Oil, for frying
Method:
1. Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk them well.
2. In another bowl, mix the refined flour, cornflour, black pepper powder, cumin powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Wash and clean the shrimps properly, then use a kitchen towel to dry them completely.
4. Heat the oil for frying in a wok on a medium flame.
5. Now, take a shrimp, dip it first in the egg batter, then coat with the flour mix.
6. Gently drop the shrimp in the oil and fry until crispy and golden brown.
7. Follow the same process with all the shrimp.
8. Once fried, drain the shrimps on a kitchen towel or tissue paper. Serve hot with a mayo dip.