Serves: 4
Total Calories: 245

1 pound large (about 20) fresh or thawed frozen shrimp, shell on, rinsed
5 to 6 cups water
2 cloves fresh garlic (large), minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, sliced diagonally or split in half lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon tamarind powder or 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens, chives or cilantro

1. Place the shrimp, 5 cups water, garlic, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the soup with a slotted spoon, let them cool, then shell and devein them, leaving the tails intact on half (reserve the tailed shrimp for garnish).

2. In a food processor or a blender, process the onion to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Process the tomato and cilantro to make a smooth puree and transfer to a separate bowl. Then add the shrimps without the tails to the work bowl and pulse a few times until they are minced. Mix the shrimp pieces into the soup.

3. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion paste, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander and turmeric and stir another minute. Then mix in the pureed tomato and cilantro and the green chili peppers and cook, stirring, until most of the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.

4. Transfer to the soup. Add the tamarind powder and coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the reserved tails-on shrimp, garnish with your choice of greens, and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 245
Calories from Fat: 124

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Soups
Cabbage Soup with Vegetables
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Cashew Corn Soup in Chicken Broth
Chicken Soup with Chayote Squash
Chicken Soup with Cream-Style Corn and Green Chili Peppers
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk
Chickpea Soup with Chicken Broth
Chilled Chickpea Soup
Chilled Potato Soup
Chilled Roasted Vegetable Soup
Chunky South Indian Tomato Soup
Classic South Indian Ginger Soup
Creamy Almond-Poppy Seed Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Curried Green Pea Soup
Fast Black Bean Soup, Indian Style
Fragrant Yogurt Soup
Goan Caldo-Verde Soup with Cauliflower
Goan Shrimp Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Mysore Coconut Soup
Puréed Mushroom Soup with Yogurt
Puréed Pumpkin Soup
Puréed Spinach Soup
Quick Black Chickpea Soup with Cumin Seeds
Quick Lentil, Barley and Vegetable Soup
Quick Puréed Root Vegetable Soup
Quick Sindhi Split Pigeon Pea Soup with Tamarind
South Indian Buttermilk Soup
South Indian Lemon Soup with Mung Beans
South Indian Tamarind Soup
Spicy Chicken Broth
Spicy Lamb Broth
Spicy Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Tomato
Spicy South Indian Vegetable Soup with Tamarind
Spinach Yogurt Soup
Tomato Soup with Fresh Curry Leaves
Tomato Soup with Sautéed Vegetables
Tomato Soup with Yellow Mung Beans
Traditional South Indian Split Pigeon Pea Soup
Vegetable Soup with Yogurt and Coconut
Vegetarian Broth
Yellow Mung Beans and Spinach Soup with Sizzling Cumin Oil
Yogurt Soup with Flame-Roasted Eggplant