Guyanese-Style Pepper Shrimp

Ingredients

• Grapeseed Oil for deep-frying
• Medium (21/25) Shrimp 1 lb, peeled & deveined
• Cornstarch 3 Tbs
• Salt 1 1/4 tsp (divided), plus extra to taste
• Sesame Oil 2 tsp
• Garlic 3 cloves, finely chopped
• Scallions 2, roughly chopped (divided)
• Ginger 1-inch piece, finely chopped
• Wiri Wiri Chili Peppers 3, finely chopped (see Note)
• Red Onion 1/4 small, finely chopped
• Red Bell Pepper 1/4, seeded, deveined & finely chopped
• Fried Curry Leaves (optional)
• Lime Wedges to serve

Cook It

1. Line a baking sheet with paper towel.
2. Add enough grapeseed oil to a fill up a third of a large saucepan. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 375°F.
3. In a bowl, combine shrimp, cornstarch and 3/4 tsp salt. Toss well. Carefully lower shrimp into the pan, taking care not to splash hot oil. Deep-fry for 1–2 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain excess oil.
4. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, half the scallions, ginger, Wiri Wiri chili peppers, red onion and bell pepper. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Toss well to combine.
5. Add shrimp and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with remaining scallions and fried curry leaves (if using). Serve warm with lime wedges.

Note: Wiri Wiri chili peppers can be substituted with half the amount of Scotch bonnet or habanero chili peppers.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavours Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A Cookbook  by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher