Indian Street Tacos with Grilled Shrimp

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – Indian-Mexican Fusion

Oh yes! Indian and Mexican are favorites at Andersen casa. While I’ve never worked on an Indian Street Taco, I find so many of my recipes like Easy Mango Salsa and Mexican Cilantro Rice are as at home with Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork as they are with an Indian Tandoori Chicken.

Apparently, Indian-Mexican fusion is a “thing” in urban areas in India. I find this to be very exciting! In this spirit, when our Progressive Eats hostess Anshie Dhar of Spice Roots chose “An Indian Picnic” as a theme, I embraced that theme!

Beyond Mere Sustenance is “healthyish global and Latin inspired,” so street tacos seemed like an obvious choice for “picnic” food. Our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico means high-quality shrimp is abundant, and honestly, it’s our favorite protein!

🌮About Indian Street Tacos with Grilled Shrimp

Have I piqued your curiosity yet? So, how what makes this taco “Indian?” Indian Street Tacos consist of soft flour tortillas with 3 components:

• Shrimp marinated in a mixture of fresh lime juice, garam masala, garlic, and ginger
• A cucumber-mint raitta
• Mango and Tomato Salsa

🧂 About Garam Masala

Garam masala is thought to have originated in northern Indian. I refer to it as a “warm spice,” one with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, and cardamom. Additionally, you may find turmeric, saffron, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, mace, star anise, tamarind, fenugreek, bay leaves, Malabar leaves, or dried red chiles.

I do occasionally make my own garam masala, and I rely on this basic recipe from Spruce Eats. You can find ready-made garam masala in most spice sections at your local market, and Amazon is always an option!

📋 Ingredients Notes

Shrimp

• limes – Please use fresh lime juice!
• garlic
• ginger – You can use minced ginger in a jar, or grate fresh ginger.
• garam masala – Make a simple garam masala spice blend, or buy garam masala (it’s widely available in most markets’ spice section).
• cayenne (optional)
• salt
• large shrimp – You don’t want “jumbo” or colossal shrimp unless you only want 1 shrimp per taco. 31-40 count (per pound) is a good size.

Mango and Tomato Salsa

• mango
• jalapeno
• tomatoes
• scallions
• cilantro
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• fresh lime juice

Cucumber Mint Raitta

• cucumber
• plain Greek yogurt – Whole, lowfat, or nonfat plain Greek yogurt is fine. The choice is yours.
• fresh mint
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Indian Street Tacos

• soft flour tortillas
• marinated and grilled shrimp
• mango and tomato salsa
• cucumber mint raitta
• cilantro and lime wedges to garnish

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

• Prepare the marinade – As the photos above suggest, first prepare the marinade. Place the shrimp and the marinade in a zip bag, and let them soak for 15-30 minutes. Longer than 30 minutes, and you risk rubbery chicken! Oh no!
• Make the Mango and Tomato Salsa – While the shrimp soak, make the Mango and Tomato Salsa. This summery salsa is basically my Easy Mango Salsa with the addition of quartered tiny tomatoes.
• Make the Cucumber and Mint Raitta – I have some vigorous mint plants in my herb garden, but once the temperature hits 100 degrees, they’ll be gone. Substitute cilantro or basil. The fresh herbs add a fresh note to the street tacos that we really love! A simple raitta is just plain yogurt and grated and pressed cucumber. We love the addition of fresh herbs. Take the time to press out the liquid so as to avoid diluting the yogurt…
• Grill the shrimp – You have a couple of good options (and I’ve done both) – skewer them, or grill them in a basket. Preheat the grill to medium-high. They really only need 5-6 minutes total.
• Assemble the Indian street tacos – Whether you’re packing a picnic or dining al fresco, keep the various components separate and assemble as you serve.

This is a perfect dish any day of the week because it comes together so quickly! If this looks appealing to you, you might want to check out these Indian Kathi Rolls. They’re great on a picnic as well!