Thai cooking frequently makes use of cilantro roots; their flavor is more pronounced than that of the leaves.
Tamarind sauce can be made 2 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 min
Yield
Serves 4 as a main course
Ingredients
For tamarind sauce
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare grill for cooking.
Step 2
Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a colander.
Make sauce:
Step 3
Place tamarind in a bowl with water and rub with your fingers to dissolve pulp. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.
Step 4
Heat oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cilantro paste and garlic, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in hot sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer until thickened to consistency of light syrup, about 3 minutes.
Grill shrimp:
Step 5
Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to second-to-last tail section. Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.
Step 6
Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
Step 7
Spoon tamarind sauce over shrimp (still in shells) in a serving dish.
