Goa, on India’s west coast, is tropical, by the sea, and a haven for tourists from Israel, Germany, the United Kingdom, and, indeed, the entire affluent world, which cannot get enough of its easy ways, its sun and sand. Some of the best food in Goa is not in its expensive resorts but in thatched shacks right on the sea. The fish is always fresh, and usually nothing can beat the fiery shrimp (called prawns here) curry, served with a mound of short-grained local rice. Serve with Plain Jasmine Rice and a green or salad of your choice.

Ingredients

　　2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　2 finely chopped medium shallots

　　1/4 teaspoon or more cayenne pepper, as preferred

　　2 teaspoons bright red paprika

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 1/4 cups coconut milk from a well-shaken can

　　1 pound large or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (or 12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp)

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1–2 teaspoons lemon juice

　　Pour the oil into a frying pan or sauté pan and set over medium heat. When hot, put in the shallots. Stir and fry until they turn light brown. Take the pan off the heat and add the cayenne, paprika, black pepper, and turmeric. Stir once or twice and put the pan back on the heat. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer, stirring to mix. Turn heat to low. Put in the shrimp, salt, and lemon juice. Stir and cook on low heat until the shrimp just turn opaque.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.