Shrimp balchao with lemongrass-coconut pearl rice

Raghavan Iyer suggests this terrific combination in his book 660 Curries.

The shrimp is marinated in a puree of malt vinegar, tamarind, dried red chiles, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon.  It is then seared and sauteed with caramelized onions, curry leaves, and tomato paste.  Seafood and vinegar are typical of the cuisine of Goa--a small state on the west coast of India, once colonized by Portugal, from which this recipe derives.

The rice dish is made from samba, a type of short-grain rice grown in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu.  It's the most aromatic rice variety I've ever encountered.  Its aroma is unusual and difficult to describe.  The recipe calls for boiling the rice in coconut milk along with turmeric and a saute of onions, chopped lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamom pods.

Both dishes were delicious and especially good together.