Shrimp Curry (Masala Jhinga)

I adapted this recipe from Shubhra Ramineni's cookbook Entice with Spice for our Labor Day Indian food extravaganza. Her shrimp curry is apparently an amalgamation of northern (masala) and southern (mustard seeds) Indian styles of cooking. Other than tweaking some of the ingredient quantities and substituting fresh tomatoes with canned, everything else is the same. 

Ingredients:
2 lbs. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 tbsp. oil
4 dried red chiles, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1 medium red onion, minced
1 15-oz. can  diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 large, very ripe tomato, diced)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet or wok over medium heat until very hot. Add the crushed red chiles, cumin, and mustard seeds. Stir for 10-15 seconds until the spices are fragrant and just very lightly browned (do not burn). 

2. Add the minced onion and cook until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, cover, simmer, and reduce until slightly thick, about 5-10 minutes. 

3. Stir in turmeric, salt, black pepper and garam masala. Simmer, uncovered 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Add the shrimp, stir to combine, then add the water. Simmer for several minutes until the shrimp is just cooked through. Remove from heat and pour onto a serving bowl or platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Diced tomatoes and red onion.

The tomato, onion and spice mixture.