Pan-Seared Shrimp with a Spicy-Hot Chile Vinegar Paste

Dishes with a vinegar-based acidic aggressiveness are called balchaos and have that slap-your-face feel. But it hurts so good, and it is no wonder you fall in love with its sadistic nature. Serve this curry not with rice, but with Portuguese Goa’s other national gift: fluffy squares of warm, fresh-baked yeast buns called pao. (If you don’t happen to have a Portuguese bakery nearby, try White Castle. Their hamburger buns are a close match!)