500g large shrimps, peeled
Marinade
½ cup oil
¼ cup water
1 tbsp Emirati spice (see recipe below)
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp tomato sauce
½ tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, pressed
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
Juice of 1 lime
A little tamarind paste
Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until combined. Place shrimp in marinade, cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Grill shrimp on both sides on a hot grill until cooked.
Watercress sauce
½ cup olive oil
½ cup cashew nuts
Juice from ½ lemon
1 packet fresh watercress
½ cup green mango paste
¼ tsp Emirati spice (see recipe below)
Sour cream, to serve
Mix all ingredients except sour cream in a blender, with a little water if needed. To serve, place watercress sauce in a serving dish with a little sour cream. Place grilled shrimp on a plate, add sauce and serve.
Emirati Spice
Yields 1 to 1½ kg of Emirati spice.
1 cup cumin seeds
1 cup coriander seeds
1 cup fenugreek seeds
1 cup fennel seeds
½ cup ground cinnamon
1/4 cup black pepper powder
1 cup turmeric powder
Dry roast spice seeds and then leave to cool. Get rid of any burned seeds and grind the roasted spice seeds with a mortar and pestle, the traditional way, or with an electric blender.
Add remaining ingredients – cinnamon, black pepper powder and turmeric powder – to ground mixture.
Store in an airtight container.
Chef’s note: In the past a piece of sea salt was placed in the Emirati spices container to prevent the humidity in the air from spoiling the spices, as they were stored for a long period of time.
