Nana Jhinga Nu Patiyu

May 31, 2020

From Deven Parlikar

My grandmother had such a strong influence in my culinary journey. As a Parsi woman married to a Maharashtrian man, she introduced the world of amazing Parsi food to all of us, her family!! One of my absolute favorite dishes she made was her “Nana jhinga nu Patiyu” – a Parsi Shrimp Scampi of sorts. And she always said that there are as many variations of this as there are Parsi cooks in this world.. so this is her recipe with my variation
Nana Jhinga Nu Patiyu
Shrimp 2 lbs
Ginger/Garlic Paste 1 tbsp
Chili Powder 2 tbsp
Turmeric 1.5 tsp
Onion 1 med sized chopped
Green Chili 1 chopped
Tomatoes 4 med minced
Tomato Paste 1 tbsp
Roasted Ground Cumin 1 tbsp
Jaggery 1 tbsp
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tbsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mint 1/3 cup chopped
Cilantro 1/3 cup chopped
Avocado Oil 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
I use shelled and deveined prawns from Trader Joe’s here in the US. Their wild caught Argentinian Shrimp is plump and flavorful. I marinate the prawns in GG Paste, Chili powder, turmeric and salt and set aside. In a thick bottomed Kadhai or wok, heat avocado oil (you can use any oil you prefer except olive oil), add curry leaves and let them sputter, use a splatter screen, add the chopped chili and onion and cook until onion changes its color a bit. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they mush up, top it off with tomato paste and cook until oil separates. Add the mint and cilantro to this and mix well. You will get a wonderful aroma wafting in the kitchen even without any of the powder spices. Now add the marinated shrimp and mix well, add the roasted cumin, jaggery and vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar, but you can use Palm vinegar or malt vinegar) mix well and let it cook for about 7 minutes. This dish is sweet and tangy and very flavorful. Taste for tang and sweetness and adjust as necessary with jaggery and vinegar. I love to eat this with a crusty baguette although my Aji always served it with dhan daal (a parsi version of tadka dal) and chawal. We have both a baguette and rice and Daal tonight.
A mildly robust Estancia Merlot brings out the unique flavor of this dish, since this one has a nice bouquet of plums, bramble berries and red cherries that compliment well with the spices in the Patiyu.
Cheers to my beloved grandma in Heaven!! There isn’t a day that we don’t think of you😊

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