Bengali Shorshe Chingri
সর্ষে চিংড়ি·(shor-she ching-ri)
DINNER
Naturally Low-FODMAP. This isn't a slow seafood braise that demands an hour of your evening or a dangerous gamble with alliums, but a fast assembly driven by black mustard seeds popping against the skillet. Authentic Shorshe Chingri relies entirely on the brutal, beautiful interplay of raw spices—not onions or garlic—and we're using a microwave to mimic the traditional sealed tiffin-box steam, beating a ten-minute timer. Kill the burner, fold in a safe Monash portion of coconut milk, and eat.
Ingredients
- dry mustard powder3 tbsp
- warm water3 tbsp
- canned full-fat coconut milk1/4 cup
- fresh lime juice1 tbsp
- ground turmeric1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- granulated sugar1/4 tsp
- large shrimp1 lb
- mustard oil2 tbsp
- fresh Serrano or Jalapeño peppers2 small
Method
- 01
In a medium microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the dry mustard powder and warm water until smooth.
Let it sit for 2 minutes; this allows the enzymes in the mustard to wake up and develop their signature sharp bite.
- 02
To the mustard paste, whisk in the coconut milk, lime juice, turmeric, salt, and sugar until you have a smooth, pale-yellow sauce.
- 03
Add the peeled shrimp to the bowl and toss well until every piece is heavily coated.
Drizzle the mustard oil evenly over the top, and lay the slit green chilies gently across the surface.
- 04
Cover the bowl tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap to trap the steam.
Microwave on HIGH for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on your microwave's wattage, until the shrimp are opaque and curled into tight C-shapes.
- 05
Let the bowl sit for 1 minute before carefully piercing the plastic wrap to release the hot steam.
Stir gently and serve immediately over steamed white rice, spooning the pungent mustard-coconut gravy generously over the top.
Notes
Mind the gut irritants.
Chili doesn't contain FODMAPs, but capsaicin can still irritate a flared-up gut. Scale the fresh chilies back if your system is currently in high-alert mode. Furthermore, this is a richer dish — for some readers, the fat content itself can be a trigger even when the FODMAP load is mathematically fine. Pair with a lighter side and a smaller portion if you're currently sensitive.
The mustard shortcut.
Traditional Bengali cooks soak and grind whole black and yellow mustard seeds into a fresh paste. To keep this strictly under ten minutes of active work, we use dry mustard powder hydrated with a little water, which provides that exact same horseradish-like, nasal-clearing kick without the thirty-minute grind.
Sourcing mustard oil.
You can find authentic mustard oil at any Indian grocer. In the US, it is often labeled "For External Use Only" due to archaic FDA import technicalities, but it is the standard culinary oil for hundreds of millions of people in Eastern India. Its sharp, peppery flavor is the soul of this dish.