This Shrimps in Culichi Salsa recipe (Camarones in Salsa Culichi) is a tribute to the popular Mexican dish, with just minor adjustments to give you just as much flavour with a fraction of the saturated fats.
What's special about this recipe is the Culichi sauce. The classic Culichi salsa is made with roasted poblano chillies and Mexican crema - the Mexican version of crème fraîche, made with whipping cream, yogurt, lime, and salt. Prawns are then smothered in this lush green sauce, and topped with melted cheese.
We propose a healthier and dairy-free version without cheese and whipping cream, both of which have lots of unhealthy saturated fats. Instead, we will blitz ripe avocado with dairy-free yogurt, and the other Culichi salsa ingredients.
By using avocado, we give creaminess and structure to the salsa, but we do away with the unhealthy fats. Avocado is one of the top vegan sources of omega-3 fats, essential fatty acids that are instrumental to a healthy heart. Moreover, avocado will give a bright green tone to this salsa, making it even prettier.
These little changes give this recipe a total of 225 calories per portion, with only 3.5g of saturated fats instead of 7g that you get from the original recipe. Our version is also suited to people with dairy allergies or intolerance.
Enjoy these shrimps in green sauce on their own, as a starter, or as a main course paired with rice or tortillas.
What can I serve with Culichi prawns?
You can dip the prawns right into the Culichi sauce, as you would any dipping sauce, or serve it as a side dish.
The easiest way to make a full meal of this starter is to pair it with rice or bread. If you want to do something special, then make a burrito out of it! Wrap rice in a tortilla, add prawns, and apply a generous amount of Culichi salsa. You can even add some cheese if you fancy that.
Which type of green chillies should I use?
The classic Mexican culichi sauce is prepared with roasted poblano and serrano chilli peppers, both a green variety of green chillies.
The poblanos are a milder bigger version of a jalapenos, and they are often stuffed with savoury fillings. The serrano chillies, instead, are thin and long peppers, much spicer than jalapenos.
If you can't find these two varieties, then you can opt for green bell peppers instead of poblanos and jalapenos instead of serrano chillies.
How long does this Mexican green salsa last?
These shrimps in culichi sauce are best enjoyed right away, but you can also store them in the fridge in a tight-seal container for no longer than two days.
We don't recommend heating up the sauce once it has been prepared as that can spoil the taste of the coconut yogurt and avocado.
Instead, you can quickly warm up the prawns and then add them to the cold pepper salsa.
Ingredients
| Poblano Green Chilli Peppers | 4 |
| Serrano Green Chilli Peppers | 2 |
| Garlic Cloves | 4 |
| Spring Onion | 40 g |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 1 tbsp |
| Coconut Yogurt | 100 g |
| Avocado | 1/4 |
| Juiced Lime | 1/2 |
| Fresh Cilantro | 1 tbsp |
| Shrimps | 200 g |
Step 1
Chop green chilli peppers, garlic, and spring onions, and add them to a roasting tray.
Then, drizzle them with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast the chillies in the pre-heated oven at 180°C (355°F) for 15 minutes, tossing them halfway through cooking time.
Step 2
Transfer the roasted peppers to a food processor and add coconut yogurt, avocado, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
Add a splash of water and blitz the salsa ingredients into a creamy sauce.
Step 3
In a non-stick skillet, pan-fry the shrimps for two to three minutes or until they turn pink.
Then, remove them from the heat.
Avoid overcooking the prawns as they will get chewy and very small.
Step 4
Pour the green salsa into dipping bowls and add top with the grilled shrimps.
To finish, garnish with lime wedges, cracked black pepper, and chopped cilantro.
Tips
Try adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the chilli sauce for a "cheesy" flavour and extra nutrition.