Who doesn’t love coconut shrimp? This crowd-pleasing recipe cuts out the sugar by using unsweetened coconut and adds in teff two ways – flour and grain. It’s so tasty and quick to throw together, make it part of your regular rotation. Serve it with leafy greens for a gorgeous and filling dinner salad!
Estimate Prep Time: 5 minutes
Estimate Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
1. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry
2. Make an assembly line on the counter next to the stove with three medium shallow bowls: Combine the coconut, teff grain, and salt in the bowl closest to the stove. In the middle bowl, whisk the egg with 2 Tablespoons of water. Place the teff flour in a third medium shallow bowl on the other side of the egg. 
3. Cook the shrimp in two batches. Coat half of the shrimp with the flour, then dip in the egg, and then coat with the coconut mixture. 
4. Leaving the shrimp in the bowl with the coconut, heat 1-2 Tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You can tell when the oil is hot enough when a piece of coconut sizzles on contact.
5. Transfer the coconut coated shrimp into the skillet in an even layer. (If there are too many shrimps for an even layer, save them for the next batch.) Cook, leaving untouched, for around 2 minutes until the underside turns deep golden brown. Flip the shrimp with tongs or two forks and cook for another couple of minutes until the second side is deep golden brown and the shrimp curls into itself and is firm. Transfer to a serving dish.
7. Once the pan has cooled a bit, wipe it out with a paper towel then cook the rest of the shrimp. 
8. Serve immediately
Coconut shrimp typically is made with sweetened coconut, but this version uses unsweetened coconut and teff for a distinctive crust. Feel free to use sweetened coconut if you prefer and if you do so, lower the heat because the sugar will make the coconut burn easily. This is great dipped in sweet and sour sauce with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of cilantro. Feel free to serve the shrimp over cooked teff grain, similar to shrimp and grits.
1-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large egg
⅓ cup ivory or brown teff flour
⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons ivory or brown teff grain
½ teaspoon sea salt
2-4 Tablespoons coconut oil, plus more as needed
Browse our recipe catalogue, containing more than 100 teff recipes!
The Teff Company grows Maskal Teff in the western USA, a non-GMO gluten-free grain that’s a superfood full of high quality complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and fiber. Explore our website to learn how to make injera and find other teff recipes using our teff flour, a delicious compliment to Ethiopian food, Eritrean food, or any gathering.
