Dried Shrimp and Squash curry

As much as I love fresh/frozen shrimp, I always keep dried shrimp handy in my pantry to give that extra kick to simple vegetarian dishes - be it green beans thoran with a bit of dried shrimp thrown in or something that needs a bit more effort like this dish - It has 2 ingredients I love - shrimp and coconut. I am happy!

Ingredients:

A handful of dried shrimp cleaned

1/2 c coconut

red chillies 2

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

curry leaves

Jeera - 1 tbsp

pearl onions - 5

green chillies - 4

ginger - 1/2 inch slice

Tomatoes - 1

Onions - 1 small

Any type of squash - 1 (I used bottle gourd)

coconut oil - 2 tbsp (optional)

Grind together coconut, green chillies and jeera seeds to a fine paste. Boil dried shrimp with water and turmeric powder. In a vessel fry the thinly sliced onions in a little oil. Then fry the tomatoes alongside. Add sliced suqsh to it and cook till squash is  almost cooked. Now add the shrimp and the water used to cook it. Add the coconut paste also. Cook for a few more minutes till the ingredients have mixed well and flavors blended well. Temper pearl onions in a bit of coconut oil and add it at the end for enhanced flavor. Enjoy!