One of my most treasured memories from childhood is homemade shrimp pickle. My mom would prepare it and we would finish a jar within a week! The ginger and garlic based masala was finger-lickin good. I remember so many nights when I would go to the kitchen and make a midnight snack of bread and shrimp pickle. It makes a great combo. Here is my mom’s shrimp pickle recipe for you to try and enjoy for years to come 🙂

Time: 

• Prep time – 3.5 hours
• Cook time – 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• Shrimp (Cleaned and deveined) – 500 g
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • To marinate the shrimp – 2 tsp
  • For the masala – 3 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder
  • To marinate the shrimp – 1 tsp
  • For the masala – 1 tsp
• Fennel Powder
  • To marinate the shrimp – 1 tsp
  • For the masala – 1 tsp
• Vegetable Oil – 1/2 cup
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 cup
• Ginger (Finely Chopped) – 1/2 cup
• Garlic (Finely Chopped) – 1/2 cup
• Fenugreek Powder (Roasted) – 1 tsp
• Indian Green Chillies (Chopped) – 3
• Curry Leaves – 15
• White Vinegar – 2 cups
• Salt to taste
• White Sugar – 1 tsp

Marinated Shrimp: 

Method: 

1. Marinate shrimp with the Kashmiri chilli powder (2 tsp), turmeric powder (2 tsp), fennel powder (1 tsp) and salt (1 tsp). Mix until well combined and set aside for 3 hours 
2. Once the shrimp has marinated, deep fry in oil, then drain it on some paper towels and set aside
3. To prepare the shrimp pickle masala, heat oil in a deep dish pan. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the oil separates
4. Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic and fry until the raw smell goes away
5. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder (3 tbsp), turmeric powder (1 tsp), fennel powder (1 tsp), roasted fenugreek powder, curry leaves, and green chillies. Fry till the oil separates
6. Add the deep fried shrimp and mix it well with the masalas
7. Add the vinegar and salt to taste (not too much as you have already added salt to the shrimp). Mix well and let the liquid boil away till you have a thick consistency
8. Last, add the sugar and mix well. Turn off the stove
9. Let the pickle cool down, then put it in mason jars for storage. The pickle tastes best after a couple of days and you can leave it outside for a week (after a week, place the pickle jars in your fridge)