Coconut-Curried Shrimp with Bara

Step 1

Lightly oil a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cumin, turmeric, and white pepper in a separate medium bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup warm water to form a soft, sticky dough. Using oiled hands, knead dough in bowl until smooth and stretchy, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to oiled bowl; cover with a dish towel, and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the Scotch bonnet hot sauce: Process Scotch bonnet chiles, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; set aside until ready to serve.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onions and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add scallions, thyme, curry powder, and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to caramelize on bottom of Dutch oven, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and curry sauce reduces slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss shrimp with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add to curry mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Reduce heat to low, and cover to keep warm.

Step 4

Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large skillet; heat over medium to 350°F. Turn bara dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide dough evenly into 18 pieces (about 5/8 ounce each). Using lightly oiled hands or a lightly oiled rolling pin, flatten 1 dough piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Repeat process with a second dough piece. Add flattened dough pieces to hot oil, and fry, carefully basting dough with hot oil, until puffed, 20 to 30 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer fried bara to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat process with remaining dough pieces.

Step 5

To serve, garnish coconut shrimp curry with additional scallions. Drizzle Scotch bonnet hot sauce over curry, and serve with warm bara for dipping.