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1
Prepare grill for cooking.
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2
Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a colander.
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3
Place tamarind in a bowl with water and rub with your fingers to dissolve pulp.
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4
Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.
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5
Heat oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cilantro paste and garlic, stirring, until fragrant.
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6
Stir in hot sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce.
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7
Simmer until thickened to consistency of light syrup, about 3 minutes.
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8
Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to second-to-last tail section.
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9
Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.
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10
Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
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11
(Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
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12
Spoon tamarind sauce over shrimp (still in shells) in a serving dish.
