Pili Pili Shrimp with Coconut Sauce
It’s spicy, sweet, creamy, bold, and a whole lot of comfort. It reminds me a little of Thai red curry. I learned of this dish from The Jambo Cafe Cookbook by Ahmed Obo.
Jambo Cafe happens to be one of my favorite restaurants and is in Santa Fe, NM. His staff is warm and friendly and the food is even better. Ahmed is from Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya, but cooked under a Caribbean chef in New York before finding his way to Santa Fe. His food is a perfect fusion of the two cuisines.
If you can’t make it to Santa Fe, get your fingers on his cookbook. As delicious and as unique as his food is, his recipes are approachable with most ingredients being easy to find. If you can’t find it, substitutions will be your friend. You can always send me a message about substitution suggestions.
I slightly modified this recipe by reducing the oil and making it into a one pot sauce dish instead of cooking the shrimp separately. If you are serving this for a party, you may want to cook the shrimp separately or cook the shrimp in small amounts of sauce throughout the party to prevent the shrimp from overcooking.
PS Ahmed drove through St. Louis a couple of years ago and stopped for a brief visit. I made a case for him to open a Jambo Cafe in St. Louis. While I think he was flattered, I don’t think he thought I was actually serious. If you’re from the 314 and happen to be in Santa Fe, look him up and tell him how much St. Louis would welcome a Jambo Cafe.
Good news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I went to link Jambo Cafe’s website to this post, I realized they have an online component to Jambo Bazaar (formerly Jambo Imports). When we lived in Santa Fe, it was one of our favorite stores (we still have furniture from that store). You can buy spices from it online as well as some curry and soup packets (but by no means their inventory is all online so make sure you check it out in person). Listen carefully, I’m rarely a seasoning packet person and I don’t endorse things I have not tried, however I will say with 100% confidence those packets will make delicious meals.
Pili Pili Shrimp with Coconut Sauce Ingredients
Serves 6-8
Pili Pili Paste
1 tsp ground African bird’s eye chili
1 Tbl ground coriander
1 Tbl paprika powder
1 ½ Tbl ground cayenne
½ tsp coarse black pepper
1 ½ tsp salt
1 Tbl brown sugar
3 Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl minced garlic
3 Tbl olive oil
Coconut Sauce
2 T olive oil
2 c diced yellow onion
1 Tbl minced garlic
2 Tbl tomato paste
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
13.5 oz canned coconut milk (found in baking or ethnic section)
1 tsp Better than Chicken Bouillon
1 c water
3 lbs, peeled and deveined 20 count shrimp
Pili Pili Shrimp with Coconut Sauce Directions
Make the pili pili spice paste. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 tsp ground African bird’s eye chili, 1 Tbl ground coriander, 1 Tbl paprika powder, 1 ½ Tbl ground cayenne, ½ tsp coarse black pepper, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 Tbl ground coriander, 1 Tbl paprika powder, 1 ½ Tbl ground cayenne, ½ tsp coarse black pepper, and 1 ½ tsp salt.
Add 1 Tbl brown sugar and stir until fully incorporated. Stir in 3 Tbl lemon juice, 1 Tbl minced garlic, and 3 Tbl olive oil.
Make the coconut sauce. Heat 2 Tbl oil in a saute pan until it shimmers. Add 2 c of diced onion and 1 Tbl of minced garlic to the pan. You should hear an initial sizzle that fades but doesn’t completely disappear.
When the onion is soft and clear, push the onions to the exterior of the pan so there is an empty circle. Add 3 Tbl of pili pili paste. Use the back of a spoon to thin it out. Stir until the paste starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Stir in 2 Tbl of tomato paste into the paste and onions. Let it cook 2 minutes.
Add 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes to the pan and stir. Allow the tomatoes to warm for a couple of minutes and stir. Anything sticking to the bottom of the pan should loosen.
Add 1 tsp of Better than Chicken Bouillon and 1 c of water to the onion mixture. Stir. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer (just a few bubbles) and cover the pan for 25 minutes.
Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir until the shrimp are about ½ pink. Stir in 13.5 oz of coconut milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer then turn off the heat. The shrimp should finish is cooked when both sides are pink but still tender.
Taste. Add more salt or cayenne if needed. Serve over rice.
