Guest Post and Giveaway -Fragrant and Creamy Coconut Shrimp Curry

April 10, 2013 Leave a Comment

Shrimp in a Creamy It is this time of the year, that I again tend to get a sense of festivity. Much as I love Durga Puja, I have to confess I am generally partial to non-denominational festivals. I find them easier to share without any boundaries.

In Spring, my favorite festival therefore is Bengali New Year, which we Bengali celebrate along with finishing our taxes here in the US. It only makes sense right, books done let us go on a food and festive journey (Just kidding!)

This year I have pulled out one of my favorite festive recipes for Fragrant and Creamy Coconut Shrimp Curry or Chingri Malaikari and shared it with you on Smita Chandra’s Blog, Curry Twist.

She is also giving away a copy of my cookbook, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.

To win the cookbook, you have to do a few simple things, head on over to my page on facebook and like me (come on, I am likeable) and then leave a comment for Smita telling her what your favorite spice is.

Please stay tuned on this site as well, because in between shopping for new cleats and enjoying the wonderful fresh spring weather, I shall try to share a few interesting recipes for you to try through the rest of the year.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under Bengali Five Spice, Fish and Seafood, Regional Indian Tagged With Bengali, Chringri Malaikari, Coconut, Frangrant Coconut Shrimp Curry, Guest Posts, Shrimp, Smita Chandra

Slow Cooker Faux Shrimp Tikka Masala

March 7, 2013 Leave a Comment

As I had promissed my friend, there was to be at least one more slow cooker recipe in the offing. Actually, for some reason it has been a fish kind of week. I made fish about three times this week, about once more than our usual twice a week routine. And from where I come from shrimp and fish fall into to the same category, come on they are both water bound and bred. 

An interesting thing about the word faux, is that I somehow like it better than false, it somehow seems a little softer as if in some ways it is less offensive, almost fancier. Here again, I have gradations, what I mean by that is there are occasions when I do not like either word such as in false or faux pearls.  This being said, this faux shrimp tikka masala turned out surprisingly better than expected. Traditionally, a tikka masala which is a close cousin of the butter or makhani sauce uses tandoori style grilled protein which in this case would be the shrimp but here I just add the shrimp and poached it in the sauce and I am proud of myself that I actually used my imersion blender. Now, if you do not have one you can do what I always do, cool, blend, return to the slow cooker and then simmer the shrimp until done. This recipe works especially well with shrimp and paneer.

It is richer than some of the average fare on my blog, but hey, sometimes you have to live a little.

In face, indulgences aside I was pretty excited that I worked out a fairly decent one dish variation of this dish. Despite all its critics and faux ancestry, the tikka masala is still quite a favorite on my table. This poached shrimp version does a very interesting job of softening the shrimp and is much easier than accomplishing a good version of grilled shrimp which can dry out quite easily.

 Kids and guests seem to like it, and honestly while I use them as an excuse I like it too! I finished most of it for lunch this week and even presentended that I was carrying a healthy lunch from home.

But jokes aside, the sauce keeps well and the flavors improve with the keeping. Not uncommon with curry sauces but always worth a mention.

 

 

 

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Slow Cooker Faux Shrimp Tikka Masala

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

A simple and rather authentic tasting slow cooker version of shrimp tikka masala.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 medium sized red onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
  • 2 pods garlic
  • 4 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 tablespoon tandoori masala
  • 1 cup beaten greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 11/2 teaspoons salt
  • 11/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 green chilies, minced
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 pounds of large shrimp, shelled and de-viened
  • 2 tablepsoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the oil in slow cooker and add in the onions, ginger and garlic and turn the slow cooker onto to a 4 hour cycle on low.
  2. After about half and hour the slow cooker will be sweaty and fragrant (I know this does not should very appetizing but it all works out.
  3. Add in the tomatoes, tandoori masala, greek yogurt, water, salt and sugar, green chilies and stir well.
  4. Let the mixture simmer well for about 3 hours.
  5. At this point, use an imersion blender and add puree the mixture with the cream.
  6. Add in the shrimp and fenugreek and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
  7. Serve the mixture garnished with cilantro.
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Filed Under Fenugreek, Fish and Seafood, Slow Cooking, Tandoori Masala, Uncategorized Tagged With Curries, Fenugreek, Fish and Seafood, Indian Cooking, Shrimp, Shrimp Tikka Masala, Simple Shrimp Tikka, Slow Cooker, Tandoor

Rice and Curry – Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder and Shrimp Curry

January 21, 2013 5 Comments

 A couple of months back, I had told you about how I was working through the Sri Lankan cookbook by Skiz Fenando - Rice and Curry.

In a house, where I am constantly working with my own recipes developing them for my own cookbooks and columns. Then again there is the constant cooking for the kids routine and I promise you the amazing and sharp flavors of this cookbook puts the recipes way beyond the children’s reach but possibly why we have been loving the book. Today I will share the shrimp recipe that we have been enjoying and someday I will also share the chicken curry recipe which has almost become a sunday staple. 

I adapt the shrimp recipe just a little to add some bell peppers to the dish. It really is more about the color factor that I love so much because with cayenne, tamarind and lime the shrimp has plenty of happening flavor.

At the heart of the Rice and Curry recipes are Skiz’s recipes for his curry powders a roasted variety and the raw curry powder which he uses for recipes such as the carrot curry recipe posted here. I have also shared my thoughts and some insights to the book in my first post.

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Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon uncooked rice
  • 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 2 inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 5 cloves
  • 2 inch piece of pandanaus leaf
  • 2 springs (about 10) curry leaves

Instructions

  1. Roast each spice separately in a small frying pan until darker and arromatic.
  2. Place in a coffee or spice grinder and grind until smooth.
  3. Store in an air-tight container and use as needed.
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This curry powder has a nice balance of flavors and enough distinction for it to become my go to powder. Now, the best part of all is that you can actually get the curry powder pre-made from Skiz’s site. On to the shrimp curry, I will mention that for some reason my dishes have been ending up saucier than Skiz’s pictures and there is more evidence of the coconut milk that is so generously applied to these curries. My dishes have a creamier appearance to them. 

However, they are all good! Skiz has a section on the health benefits of coconut and it is quite the trend these days. Coconut is full of monosaturated fats that is supposed to speed up your metabolism.

For me as with most things, it is always about taste. The bengali girl that I am, I love the combination of matching shrimp with coconut. Very native to me, but in this recipe we are talking spice loaded action packed fun.

I have made this dish so many times, I am actually writing up the recipe as I like to make it. It is close and it feels more instinctive that way. It meshes into the nice and casual style of the book.

 

Print
Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 11/2 tablespoons Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (per recipe above)
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 11/2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 4 pods of minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced lemon grass
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 green chili minced
  • 2 pounds of large shrimp shelled and deviened
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro to garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil on medium heat and add in the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle.
  2. Pound the fenugreek seeds and add into the oil with the curry powder and stir well.
  3. Add in the onion, ginger and garlic and stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion wilts and begins to turn softly golden.
  4. Add in the turmeric, cayenne, lemon grass and the green chili and stir well.
  5. Add in the shrimp and the salt.
  6. Mix in the tamarind paste and the coconut milk and bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp turns dark red.
  7. Turn off the heat.
  8. Squeeze in the lime juice, stir in the cilantro and serve.
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Filed Under Cumin, Curry Leaves, Fennel, Fish and Seafood, Uncategorized Tagged With Cookbooks, Essential Spices, Rice and Curry, Shrimp, Shrimp Curry, Skiz Fernando, Sri Lanka, Winter

Chili Garlic Hakka Shrimp – Pan Fried Shrimp In a Spicy Tossed Sauce

December 7, 2012 2 Comments

It has been a busy week, with a lot recipe stimulation between sending out some recipe to people here and there, and then just dealing with the routine between the blogger cook-off and my spices and seasons column I have shyed away a little from this space. But, then again this space is my virtual home and like my real home, it is a little spotty, a little messy and has a few gems here and there. I do not want to be that kind of girl who ignores her blog for months when a book is out. There I have said it, I am not that kind of girl!

This being said I am the kind of girl, who needs an excuse to simplify a recipe, and of course indulge in her share of fried food. The excuse does not need to be real, a couple of evenings ago it was the stress of badly compiled PTA cash envelopes. BTW, folks try counting $5k of mismatched bills that are actually supposed to add up to $4.9K , so I think you will forgive me my bad habits. But, for the record, I help with our PTA.

So, we are into my favorite domain of Indo-Chinese food, and this recipe is a creation that really is as simple as it is addictive.

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Filed Under Fish and Seafood, Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With cilantro, Fish and Seafood, Indo-Chinese, Scallion, Shrimp, Weeknight Quick Fix, Winter

The Hungry Girl’s Steamed Mustard Shrimp

November 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

 All things considered, it probably is going to take me longer to organize and post this recipe than it did for me to actually make the dish. This dish was all about simple inspiration on a weeknight when I got home back home late from work.

Ironically enough, I used modern technology to do something that people did way back when the traditional earth friendly way, well almost.

What I ended up creating was a contemporary variation of the traditional Bengali recipe called Paturi. In Bengali cuisine, this is done by wrapping pieces of fish or vegetables in fresh banana leaves and steaming them while the rice cooks. I had some fresh mustard paste handy and actually through some fresh shrimp into a piece of foil a and cooked it over the steamer basket of the rice cooker. I did not have/take the time to add turmeric, which accounts for the reddish color of the shrimp which does not look bad, but the dish is usually a yellower color. If you tend to steam food the Indian way, the rice cooker steamer is quite the thing to do the job for you. In this case, I had dinner in about 25 minutes, without really any attention needed to cook things. I think this one is a keeper. I have tried this technique with a couple of other things just not done it so spontaneously. But  hey, when you have a family to feed you get quick on your feet.

 So, here is how I did this,

 

 

Filed Under Bengali, Fish and Seafood, Mustard, Uncategorized Tagged With Bengali, Green Chilies, Mustard, Mustard Paste, One Dish Meals, Paturi, Shrimp, Steamed

Narkol Shorshe Chingri – Quick and Spicy Coconut Mustard Shrimp

September 24, 2011 Leave a Comment

 Well, fall is here this time without much fanfare but much more with a loud bang pretty much letting us know that it was here.

It is the time of the year that school starts for the kids and the days especially the weekends are filled with stuff. This year the kids try soccer for the first time. It is a little daunting for the first time in my life dealing with a game that I really do not know much about.  Well,  we shall see how things go, I did survive my first shopping trip to Models and we are equipped with shin guards and stuff.

Now, this recipe is a very simple recipe recipe using fresh mustard and sweet flaked coconut. It is a quick version of what might seem like a rather complex bengali steamed shrimp recipe. Well, the microwave here takes the fuss out of the steaming process and the coconut actually adds a surprising touch of sweetness.

My secret ingredient here is very finely sliverred chopped habanero chilies. The fresh mustard paste used here is a very traditional ingredient in Bengali cooking. Ironicially, enough this recipe is older than the kids and ahem, husband. I say this for a reason, once upon a time my parents were into matchmaking and frankly, rather than truly as in really truly upset them, I met or spoke to the men they thought were suitable.

Once such guy, had a mother who had a recipe. This recipe a little removed is what I share with you. The beauty of cooking and recipes is just that. Who knows where the mother and son are, but the beauty of the meal remains on.

Narkol Shorshe Chingri – Quick and Spicy Coconut Mustard Shrimp

Prep Time: 5-7 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Ingredients

3 tablespoon mustard oil

1 tablespoon mustard paste (see recipe)

1 and ½ tablespoon sweet coconut flakes

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

6 green chilies, slit halfway lengthwise

1 and 1/2 pounds of large shrimp, shelled and de-viened

 Method of Preparation

  1. Mix the mustard oil, mustard paste, coconut, salt and coconut well in a bowl.
  2. Add the green chilies and the shrimp and let the shrimp rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Cook the shrimp for 4 minutes and stir well, cook for another 4 minutes and serve immediately.

To make fresh mustard paste or shorshe bata

Soak 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds and 2 green chilies overnight in 1/2 cup water. Grind the mustard to a smooth paste and use as needed.

Ps. If you are really in a bind, use stone ground commercial mustard for this recipe.

Filed Under Bengali, Mustard, Uncategorized Tagged With Bengali, Chilies, Cocomut, Fish, Habanero, Mustard, Mustard Paste, Shrimp

Tandoori Shrimp Bruschetta

May 22, 2011 2 Comments

 One of the thrills of my Saturdays shopping ritual during these warmer weather months are the joy of scoping out the farmers markets. The outdoor markets start next week, but I have been shopping bagfuls at  the Briarcliff Manor indoor market.
I have also realized that I am now seriously, seriously hooked on the bread from Bread alone. If you like bread and have not yet tried their bread, be prepared to fall in love.  I cannot have enough of the bread and now the kids love it too! h

Deepta, usually has her dance class on Saturday afternoons, the past couple of months she has been rather good about practicing herself and this has made me a little lazy about working with her on the dancing. Well, the past two weeks she had not made time for the dance and I have to confess I did not think to remind her. Come, dance class we have a very regressed student and a extremely disappointed instructor. Indian methods of teaching and discliplining can be considered very tough love on occasion and Deepta experienced this first hand from her instructor. I have to confess being the softer parent, this was a little difficult for me but I am actually proud of myself that I did not interfere and later told my daughter that I need to also make time to work with her on her practice. It is difficult, but very important to remember that in the classroom the teacher reserves the right to set the tone, possibly in a different pitch from me.

Left with a bit of a mixed mood I remembered that I needed to work through dinner. We were expecting my surrogate  brother Anju and his wife and it is always a joy to cook for them. I also like to get things in place so that I have enough time to enjoy their company.  These appetizers I put together a something that is always a hit!

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Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking Tagged With Appetizers, Bread, cilantro, Shrimp

Jhinge Chingri – Ridge Gourd with Shrimp

April 8, 2011 Leave a Comment

There is a saying, that goes be careful of what you ask for since you might get get. This is indeed all too true for me. I have often wanted to be able to get to India frequently for short snappy trips so that I can continue to stay in touch with the country and all the changes. Well, I have in the last year been able to do that, thanks to among other things the gracious accommodation of my employer. However, the reason for these frequent trips are to be able to see my frail and ailing father frequently. Do I still love getting back, absolutely! This time round, I actually want to blog about the sights and sounds of Kolkata, let me see if I manage to make the time. The other day, I found some fresh ridge gourd so named because of the sharp ridge like edges. These are called Jhinge in Bengali and Tori in Hindi.

 This time of the year, since the garden is rather sparse, I catch up on exploring and cooking fresh vegetables from the Indian Grocery. So I made this recipe with small shrimp. Ideally, the best is to be able to use small shrimp, but since I did not have any at home, I chopped the medium shrimp to get the right size. So this is basically how I did this,

Ridge Gourd with Shrimp – Jhinge Chingri

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

 2 medium sized ridge gourds

1 tablespoon salt (kosher salt is good for this)

½ cup warm water

1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 ¾ inch piece ginger

2 green chilies

3 tablespoons oil (preferably mustard oil)

½ teaspoon nigella seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small onion, cut into a dice

1 tomato, cut into a dice

½ cup small shrimp or large shrimp

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

 Method of Preparation

1. Cut the tips of the ridge gourd and peel the ridges, leave the remaining skin on, it can be scraped a little if desired.

2. Cut the vegetable into small 1 inch pieces, rub with half the salt and set the vegetable aside in a colander to drain( for 15-20 minutes)  out some of the water.

3. Soak the water, coriander seeds and the green chilies for about 15 minutes (can be longer). Grind these into a soft smooth paste. A small grinder like the magic bullet is good for this purpose.

4. Heat the oil and add the nigella seeds and the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute until the seeds begin to sizzle.

5. Add the onion and reduce the heat and saute for about 2 minutes, until the onion softens and turns transluscent.

6. Add the spice paste and cook for a minutes, drain some of the water and add the ridge gourd and fry for 5 minutes.

7. Add the tomato and the remaining salt and cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8. Rub the shrimp with the turmeric and add the shrimp into the vegetables, stir in the sugar and mix well. Cook the mixture until the shirmp turns pink

9. Stir in the cilantro and serve with rice.

Filed Under Bengali, Fish and Seafood Tagged With Ridge Gourd, Shrimp

New Virtural Home – Shrimp in a Garlic Sauce with Cilantro

March 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

 

If you have been tracking what has been going on at the CIW headquarters, you would know that I have moved the website. The transition and reasons were really stranger or maybe not so strange, I would keep looking at the personalized addresses and wish that I had a little domain that was unique to Cooking in Westchester, finally this year my husband gave me a gift certificate to use (well he is a computer geek) to use for hosting and I guess the decision was finally made.

I have spent the past month getting used the new settings and I guess, to degree I am still getting used to this space. Like any move it takes time to recreate the space and make it my own and of course, add the links. It is not very different from the concept of boxes where once you complete the first few boxes, you take your time to clear up the remaining boxes.

Last night I made this French Vietnamese recipe inspired by a recipe card in one of my friend’s kitchen. Actually, I saw this amazing table top rotisserie grill, so I plan of getting one. So the husband has been warned. The recipe is mostly from my memory but it did turn out pretty good.

Shrimp in a Garlic Sauce with Cilantro

Prep Time: 45 minutes                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Cook Time: 35-40 minutes                                                                                                                                                                                                             Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5 pounds jumbo shrimp, shelled and deviened                                                                                                                                                                           4 pods of garlic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2 tablespoons fish sauce                                                                                                                                                                                                                             2 teaspoons cornstarch                                                                                                                                                                                                                             4 tablespoons oil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1 yellow onion, very finely chopped                                                                                                                                                                                      3/4  cup white wine (I used a chardonay)                                                                                                                                                                                         1 tablespoon oyster sauce                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1 green chili, minced                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add the cloves of garlic through a press.                                                                                                                         2. Add in the fish sauce and let the shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes.                                                                                                                  3. Add in the corn starch and coat the fish with the mixture and toss.                                                                                                                                4. In a large skillet add about 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat the oil until very hot, swirl the oil around and place the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on each side. The shrimp should curl up nicely and turn pink and lightly crisp.                                    5. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in a serving plate.                                                                                                                                                       6. Add the remaining oil to the cooking pan and heat and add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat, stirring frequently. The onions should soften and turn light golden. Reduce the heat and add in some of the wine and cook the onions stirring frequently until the onions absorb the wine and turn a slightly darker shade of golden.                                                                                             7. Continue the process until 1/2 cup of the wine is used up, this part takes a good 20 minutes and this is why is it is a good idea to get a good white wine that you can also drink while cooking.                                                                                                                                                 8. Add in the oyster sauce and the remaining wine and the green chili and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until a nice thick sauce is formed. 9. Pour the sauce carefully over the shrimp and garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Just a note here, that this dish does need to be eaten with rice or you might find it a little too salty.

 

Filed Under Fish and Seafood Tagged With Asian, cilantro, Main Dishes Non Vegetarian, Shrimp

Saucy Shrimp Vindaloo

January 28, 2011 4 Comments

Last week in class, I had a spice lover, I mean a serious about my chilies kind of guy. So at his request I wanted to scope out a spicy recipe. When you tend to think spice in Indian food, what comes to my mind actually is the thought of vindaloo. A vindaloo, is a dish that is most popular in the western coastline of India and has Portuguese roots. While popular versions include mostly pork, shrimp offers a good flavor base as well, pairing comfortably with simple white rice.

 I was looking for a recipe that was bold but not overwelmningly spicy since for a class setting, it is important to balance the flavors and the spice. So I went on a quest for a spice balanced recipe.

I did not have to go much further that my book shelf of my favorite cookbooks. I found a recipe in 660 curries that I adapted and a star was born. I used both red and green chilies in this recipe. Like so many other staples – the cumin, the garlic, the ginger and the cilantro I actually just tend to take the chilies in my life for granted.

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Filed Under Fish and Seafood, Regional Indian Tagged With Chilies, Class Notes, Goan, Main Dishes Non Vegetarian, Shrimp, Vinegar, Western India
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