Shrimp is a great protein to taste spices on. If I haven’t convinced you to try turmeric yet (though how you could pass up my Spicy Red Lentil and Rice Soup is beyond me), this might be a good one to start on. The relatively mild flavor of shrimp and what some have called flavorless character of zucchini allows the spice mix here to shine.

This dish packs a kick, but not in the “please give me all the milk in the world, dear god it burns” way. More like “ooooh, that’s good” way. There’s an important difference here.

And since zucchini is currently cheap and abundant, expect to see another zucchini recipe here in a few days. Might as well figure out how to use it while it’s here!

Spicy Shrimp with Zucchini

Slightly adapted from Serious Eats

The original recipe is called “Coriander Shrimp” (aka cilantro shrimp). I didn’t have any on hand when I made this recipe and honestly thought it tasted great. I didn’t notice it’s absence and think you might enjoy it this was as well. If you can’t picture shrimp without cilantro, click on the link above to see how the experts do it!

Ingredients

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 pounds zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

Equipment

Mixing bowls, pan

Instructions

In a bowl, add half the turmeric, a pinch of salt, and the shrimp. Set aside.

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into large pan over high heat. When oil is heated and starts to smoke, add the shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink – about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and remove shrimp from pan with a slotted spoon. Place on a plate and set aside.

Pour remaining oil back into the pan and heat over medium. Add remaining turmeric, spices, and bay leaf and stir well. Cook until fragrant – about a minute. Add the zucchini and toss until well coated by spices. Cover and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add shrimp, stir well, and turn off heat.

Serve 2 (main dish) or 4 (side dish)