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Fish, South and Southeast Asian

Chemmeen ularthiyathu with rice

Chemmeen ularthiyathu is a sautéed shrimp dish from Kerala, in South India, served with basmati rice. For 4 people, it takes 35 minutes to make, it's rated easy, and costs about €4.50 per serving. The key to getting it right is cooking the onions slowly until they caramelize, which gives the dish most of its depth of flavor.

Tonight, Kerala style sautéed shrimp with golden onions, curry leaves and toasted coconut, a dry and deeply fragrant dish.

Chemmeen ularthiyathu with rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.50
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

This Kerala dish is dry, with no sauce, the shrimp coated in a thick masala of onions, tomato, garlic and ginger. Kashmiri chili powder gives it a deep red color and a clear but not fiery heat, while curry leaves and toasted coconut bring that distinctive South Indian fragrance.

It's a weeknight dish that breaks the usual routine, ready in 35 minutes but tasting like it simmered much longer. The shrimp cook fast, the real work is in the patience you give the onions. Mon Chou suggests it for a dinner that feels like a trip without complicating your evening.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Peeled shrimp 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 3
  • Tomato 1
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 20 g

Pantry

  • Grated coconut 40 g
  • Curry leaves 10
  • Kashmiri chili powderoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Black pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Coconut oil or neutral oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Shellfish

The step by step recipe

  1. Dry toast the grated coconut in a pan until golden, then set it aside. 3 min

    Watch it closely, it goes from golden to burnt in a few seconds.

  2. Heat the oil, add the curry leaves and sliced onions, and cook them slowly until deeply golden. 15 min

    Add a pinch of salt right at the start, it helps the onions release water and caramelize better.

  3. Add the chopped garlic and ginger, the spices, then the diced tomato, and cook until you get a thick masala. 6 min

    The masala is ready when the oil rises back to the surface.

  4. Add the shrimp and sauté them over high heat until pink and well coated in the masala. 4 min

    Don't cook them more than four minutes, or they'll turn dry.

  5. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut, cook the basmati rice separately, and serve together. 12 min

    Adding the coconut at the end keeps it crunchy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use raw or precooked peeled shrimp depending on what you find, but shorten the cooking time if they're already cooked so they don't turn rubbery.
  • Chop the garlic and ginger finely rather than mashing them into a paste, the masala keeps a bit more texture that way.
  • If you don't have fresh curry leaves, use frozen ones rather than dried, their fragrance holds up much better during cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the shrimp for a firm white fish cut into chunks, cutting the cooking time down to two or three minutes.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the shrimp with cooked chickpeas or diced firm tofu, sautéed the same way.
  • For a milder version, swap the Kashmiri chili powder for paprika and remove the seeds if you add a fresh chili on top.

What to serve it with

  • Plain basmati rice
  • Spiced black tea
  • Cucumber and yogurt salad

Storage

Chemmeen ularthiyathu keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It doesn't freeze well since the shrimp turn rubbery once thawed. Reheat it gently in a pan without adding water, to keep the dish dry.

Questions about this dish

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, thaw them completely and pat them dry before cooking. Too much water in the pan will stop the masala from coating them properly.

What is Kashmiri chili powder?

It's a mild to medium hot chili powder, used mainly for its bright red color. You can replace it with sweet paprika mixed with a bit of hotter chili powder.

Can I make the masala ahead of time?

Yes, cook the onions and masala up through the tomato step, then store it in the fridge. Add the shrimp at the last minute so they stay tender.

Can I skip the grated coconut?

The dish still works without it, it just loses a bit of its final crunch. Toasted fresh coconut flakes also work really well.

How long does it take to make a Kerala style sautéed shrimp with rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Kerala style sautéed shrimp with rice?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Kerala style sautéed shrimp with rice cost?

About €4.50 per serving, or €18.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains shellfish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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