While deep-frying anything can be a little bit of a mess, sometimes it is worth it to pull out all the stops when hosting a group and make some crispy, deep-fried snacks to serve hot. These coconut curry shrimp skewers are deep fried until golden brown, and served with a cilantro, lime, & garlic mayonnaise.
Deep-Fried Coconut Curry Shrimp Skewers
While deep-frying anything can be a little bit of a mess, sometimes it is worth it to pull out all the stops when hosting a group and make some crispy, deep-fried snacks to serve hot. These coconut curry shrimp skewers are deep fried until golden brown, and served with a cilantro, lime, & garlic mayonnaise.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise, (whatever brand you prefer)
- ½ clove raw garlic, (finely minced)
- Zest from 1 lime
- Juice from ½ lime
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, (finely chopped)
- 24 very large, (fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined)
- 24 4” wooden skewers, (for piercing shrimp)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup ground coconut
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp cup coconut oil
- 3 whole eggs, (whisked together in a bowl)
- 3 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 3 cups vegetable oil, (for frying the shrimp skewers)
- Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- Before you begin breading the shrimp, quickly prepare your cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise dipping sauce.
- To make the dipping sauce, simply combine the mayonnaise with the finely chopped cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and finely minced garlic.
- Mix until all of the dipping sauce ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Set the mayonnaise mixture aside in the fridge until your shrimp are fried and you are ready to serve.
- To set up the breading station for the shrimp, combine the garlic powder, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, freshly-ground black pepper, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk the dry spice ingredients together until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the ground coconut with the coconut milk, coconut oil, and the whole eggs.
- Prepare a third bowl with panko bread crumbs.
- Dry the peeled and de-veined shrimp with paper towels.
- Dip each shrimp individually in the dry spice mixture, making sure to dust off any excess.
- Next, coat each shrimp in the wet mixture with the eggs, and quickly drain any excess egg mixture off each shrimp.
- Finally, coat the exterior of each shrimp generously with Panko bread crumbs, making sure to press the panko into the shrimp so it sticks in an even layer.
- Carefully skewer the breaded shrimp, so they are firmly attached to the wooden skewers.
- Add more panko if some falls off during the skewering process.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pot until the oil is 375F.
- Deep fry the skewers in the hot 375F oil, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through, and the panko coating is a light golden brown color.
- When the shrimp are done frying, transfer them to a plate to drain on paper towels, and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
- Serve hot, with the cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise on the side as a dipping sauce.
Notes
Any extra cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise can be reserved for use later in the week. It tastes delicious when paired with a variety of cooked meats, or even in salads with fresh or roasted vegetables.