Shrimp Pakora Sliders with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 pound jumbo (21/25) peeled, deveined raw shrimp (thawed if frozen)
• 1 cup sliced red onion (from 1 small onion)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 12 fresh curry leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup (about 3 1/4 ounces) besan (chickpea flour)
• 0.5 cup (about 2 1/10 ounces) cornstarch
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Grapeseed oil
• Pinch of chaat masala (optional)
• Coconut-Cilantro Chutney (recipe follows)
• 12 slider buns
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro (1 1/2 ounces), stems trimmed
• 0.5 cup packed fresh mint leaves (1/2 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1 small (about 1/3 ounce) serrano chile, halved lengthwise and unseeded
• 0.5 cup unsweetened flaked coconut flakes
• 0.5 cup well-shaken and stirred coconut milk
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps

1. Process cilantro, mint, cumin, ginger, garlic, and serrano chile in a food processor until chopped, about 20 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flaked coconut, coconut milk, and salt; pulse until combined, about 3 pulses. Chutney may be stored, covered, in refrigerator up to 5 days.
2. Toss together shrimp, onion, lemon juice, and curry leaves in a large bowl. Sprinkle shrimp mixture with chile powder, cumin, and salt; toss to coat. Set shrimp mixture aside while you prepare the batter, but do not let stand longer than 10 minutes before cooking.
3. Whisk together besan, cornstarch, and turmeric in a medium bowl. Working in batches, transfer shrimp mixture to besan mixture in bowl, and toss until fully coated. Transfer coated pieces to a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining shrimp mixture.
4. Pour oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches; heat over medium until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Working in about 5 batches, fry about 7 pieces shrimp and onion in oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, flipping pieces halfway through cook time. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried shrimp clusters to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately sprinkle with chaat masala and salt to taste.
5. Smear a little Coconut-Cilantro Chutney on the inside of each bun. Top evenly with fried shrimp and onion.