Indian Shrimp Curry

 

I can’t tell you the first time I had Indian food; all I know is that I really liked it. I also know that the late Mr. O-P was the one who introduced me to it when he took me to dinner at local restaurant, India’s Rasoi. Once I realized how flavorful it was, I would seek out Indian restaurants when we traveled. One of the best Indian restaurants I think I’ve ever been to was Shalimar in Dublin, Ireland. Another good one was The Curry Leaf in London where I had the most magnificent salmon.

 It’s hard to have Indian food these days without thinking of Jim, but I do soldier on, as you are aware from my recent posting of Coconut Curry Chicken.  This one is for shrimp lovers; I served it on top of turmeric rice. Delicious! 

Indian Shrimp Curry

2 T. olive oil

1 c. minced onion

1 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1½ t. ground turmeric

1 T. freshly grated ginger

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. smoked paprika

½ t. Kashmiri chilli powder

1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 13.66-oz. can coconut milk

1 t. kosher salt

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. chopped fresh Thai basil

 Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and pepper until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 2 minutes.

 Add garlic, turmeric, ginger, cumin, paprika, and chilli powder to onion and pepper in the skillet; stir over low heat to bloom spices, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

 Stir in shrimp, cilantro, and Thai basil; simmer until shrimp turns opaque, about 2-3 minutes.

 Garnish with chopped scallions.

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Saag Aloo Frittata

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I love Indian food, everything about it. The combination of flavors, the warm spices, the little bit of heat, everything. The other the morning as I was fixing breakfast I wondered what I could do to bring a little bit of the taste of India into the first meal of the day. This was the result. It was so good; I could hardly stop eating it. Increase, or decrease the amount of jalapeño you use to suit your tastes, but do give this a try. If you aren’t a fan of breakfast, this also makes a wonderful lunch, or a tasty side dish at dinner. It can be consumed hot, or at room temperature. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven, and it slices like a dream. 

Saag Aloo Frittata

2 T. olive oil
6 Melissa’s baby red potatoes, sliced
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Melissa’s pickled jalapeño, seeded and sliced
½ t. brown mustard seeds
½ t. cumin seeds
½ t. turmeric
¼ t. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 large eggs
⅓ c. whole milk
½ c. grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Heat olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes until tender but firm. Stir in spinach, green onions, garlic, and seasonings. Continue cooking 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour eggs evenly over vegetable mixture and, using a heatproof spatula, carefully disperse ingredients to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top. Cook until bottom is set, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven, and let set 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving. To do so, run a heatproof spatula around the edge of the pan to release frittata. Slide onto a warm plate and cut into wedges to serve.

Garnish with chopped chives and a sprinkle of smoky paprika.

Sag Aloo

I am a fan of “Gavin and Stacey.” It is a British comedy/drama that centers around the title characters, he from Essex, she from Wales, and how they come together, joining two very different families. It is funny, pleasant, poignant, sad, touching, and my “go to” show any time I’m feeling down. I think I have watched this three-season program all the way through 4 or 5 times.

One of my favorite scenes is when Gavin’s best friend, Smithy (played by James Corden), and Gavin’s family are ordering Indian takeout. One of the dishes ordered is Sag Aloo, a dish with which I was unfamiliar. Naturally, I had to investigate. It turns out it is a delicious potato and spinach side dish, that is easy to make (although there is a bit of chopping) and suitable for any meal of the day. I enjoyed it with Firecracker Salmon on (you guessed it) the Fourth of July, and this morning again with an omelet (also significant in “Gavin and Stacey”) for brunch. It is delicious!

The original recipe called for red chili peppers, I didn’t have any of those so I used one of my homegrown jalapeños. The original recipe also called for black mustard seeds, and I only had brown, so I made that substitution as well. I’m going to be eating a lot of this because it makes a plain dinner quite exotic and fancy.

Sag Aloo

2 T. canola oil
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
2 c. cubed, peeled potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
1 jalapeño, halved, seeded and sliced
1/2 t. brown mustard seeds
1/2 t. cumin seeds
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 handfuls fresh, washed baby spinach

Heat oil over medium high heat in a 10-inch sauté pan. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, jalapeño, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and salt, and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes more.

Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook for 8 minutes.

Check to see that the potatoes are done to your liking by spearing them with the point of a knife. If so, add spinach, give it a stir, cover, and let the spinach wilt into the pan. Remove from heat and serve.

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Chana Masala (Savory Indian Chickpeas)

As much as I love Indian food, prior to today I had never tried Chana Masala (Savory Indian Chickpeas). Lately I’ve been doing a bit of experimenting with chickpeas (you may remember my Lemony Salmon with Spiced Chickpeas recipe from last week), and thought I would give this a try. I quite enjoyed it! I had it as a main dish along with Cilantro Rice, but I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it as a side, or have it as a featured dish on an Indian buffet. Next time, to add a touch of sweetness, I’m going to serve it with raisin-studded Mediterranean Rice Pilaf, a recipe that I will be sharing soon.

Chana Masala (Savory Indian Chickpeas)
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 (1.5 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 medium cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Pinch Kosher salt
1 9-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Garbanzo Beans
Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth.

Heat olive oil in a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry bay leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the puréed vegetables into the skillet and cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir until very hot, 3 to 4 minutes.

Bring to a boil and stir garbanzos into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook until they are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and garnish with cilantro.

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Another wonderful Indian vegetable side (or main) dish is Butter Cauliflower Bowls. I make this stuff weekly.

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Butter Cauliflower Bowls

As you know, if you read this post with my review of one of the newest books on cooking with cauliflower, I have lately been embracing cauliflower.

I am also a follower of the Damn Delicious blog because her recipes never fail me. Recently I found one for a cauliflower version of Indian Butter Chicken, one of my favorite dishes. I make mine in the slow cooker because it is so easy, and I shared that recipe with you here.

Because it is so cold and windy today I told myself I was going to stay in and experiment in the kitchen. So today I tried this recipe. Wow! It is not just good, it is super good! In fact, I could not believe how good it was. I mean, how many times do you find yourself making yummy sounds while eating a vegetable? When I ate this, I did. It got to be embarrassing.

What a wonderful vegetarian meal. I didn’t miss the chicken at all. If you do, substitute chicken for the cauliflower, or use both. I made a couple of changes in that I used chipotle chili powder to kick up the heat, and served mine with cilantro lime rice, because it adds additional flavor. If you’re interested in that, my recipe is below, if not, just use plain. 

Butter Cauliflower Bowls

from Damn Delicious

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 T. freshly grated ginger

2 t. garam masala

1 t. chili powder

1 t. ground cumin

¼ cup tomato paste

1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce

2 cups vegetable stock

Pinch Kosher salt, to taste

1 head Melissa’s Organic Cauliflower, cut into florets

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cumin and tomato paste until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in tomato sauce and vegetable stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in cauliflower until tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with rice.

Cilantro Rice

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained

1 cup chicken stock

1 T. butter

Pinch of salt

1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice

¼ -1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place rice, stock, butter, and salt into small saucepan. (I spray mine with Pam to prevent sticking.) Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 17 minutes. Stir the lime juice and cilantro into the cooked rice just before serving. If you love cilantro like I do, feel free to add even more!

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If you like cauliflower like I do, then you will enjoy this spectacularly easy and delicious Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing. Even the kids will love it!

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You may (or may not, I won't judge) remember my telling you in this post that I had bought a lot of shrimp. Last night, finally feeling up to making a meal (as opposed to thawing one), I tried this recipe. Someone had given it to me years ago, so I don't know the source, but I will say that it is both easy and delicious. Because I am still so blasted tired from my battle with the flu, I measured out my ingredients, cleaned the shrimp, and did all of the prep work at various intervals throughout the day, so when it was time for dinner, everything was ready and came together in no time. It is so quick and easy to prepare that I started it when "Big Bang Theory" came on TV, and sat down to dine before the credits ran. I'll be making this again.

Indian Shrimp Curry

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 sweet onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Return to low heat and add garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and chili powder to the onion; stir to combine. Pour the tomatoes and coconut milk into the skillet; season with salt.

Cook the mixture at a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in shrimp, fresh cilantro, and dried cilantro; cook another 1 minute before serving.

This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Art of Homemaking Monday

Celebrate Your Story

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

You're probably reading this blog post, shaking your head, and saying to yourself, what is this, Slow-Cooker Week, or what? Well, I hadn't intended for it to be, but it looks as though it is. I have been using the heck out of my slow cooker this week, and with incredible results. I don't think I really ever realized just how much I used it, until I started writing blog posts. Today I have another wonderful, easy, and delicious recipe for your slow cooker.

I like spicy foods of all kinds, so this was something that I have long wanted to try. I haven't done a lot of Indian food in the crockpot, but I hope to remedy that very soon. My first effort was the butter chicken that was absolutely incredible; this dish is a little spicier, but equally as flavorful. I like my food extra spicy so I added a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper. You may not want to do that, because that does turn up the heat quite a bit.

 

This is a great warming winter recipe for those of you whose tastes lean toward the more exotic side. As with all crockpot recipes, this one is very forgiving, just use what you have. In fact, just between you and me, I didn't really have plain yogurt, but I did have some Chobani peach yogurt with the fruit on the bottom, so I just scraped off the plain yogurt on top leaving the fruit in the container and dumped that into the crockpot. No one was the wiser, and it tasted just the same. It pays to get creative.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

 

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2½ teaspoons garam masala

1-2½" piece ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ medium yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ teaspoons turmeric

1 (14-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

1½ cups plain yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Spray interior of crockpot with Pam.

Toss chicken with salt, pepper, and garam masala in a medium bowl. Place in crockpot.

Mix next 8 ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour over Chicken.  Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in peas, cook for 30 minutes. Turn off crockpot and stir in yogurt and lemon juice. Serve atop our favorite rice and garnish with cilantro.

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This post is linked to: Wow Us Wednesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Share Your Style, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

Mr. O-P is the guy who first introduced me to Indian food. It was a whole different kind of taste for me, but I liked it. He also gave me my first taste of chutney and I liked that enough to begin making my own, and enjoying it with chicken and ham in addition to the various Indian dishes. So when I saw a recipe on epicurious.com for a Quick Chicken Tikka Masala, I had to try it. The claim was that it would be on the table in 40 minutes. It nearly was, though I changed up the recipe a bit, adding some precious minutes, and let it simmer a tiny bit more because I wanted to make sure that the flavors were fully infused and the chicken fully done. For what turned out to be minimal effort, it gave a big return. This dish is complex, intensely flavorful, and absolutely delicious. It has a bit of a peppery kick, so a delicate palate might want to cut back a bit on the cayenne. As written, it nicely serves 2. I served it with coconut rice, various chutneys, and naan. It you're looking to spice up your midweek dinner doldrums with something exotic yet easy, this is it.

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from epicurious.com

1 (1-1/2”) piece ginger, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes

1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided,

plus more to taste

1-1/4 teaspoons garam masala, divided

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons heavy cream

¼ cup coconut milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Pulse ginger and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add onion and pulse again until finely chopped.

Toss chicken with 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. garam masala in a medium bowl.

Heat oil over high heat in a 10” skillet. Add chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean bowl.

Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add butter, chopped onion mixture, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. 

Add tomato paste, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 3/4 tsp. garam masala and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes. 

Return chicken to pan, add peas, heavy cream, and coconut milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 3 minutes more. (At this point I covered the pan and let the chicken simmer on low heat while I prepared the rice.)

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 2 plates, top with cilantro, and pass the naan.

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Amaze Me Monday

Cooking & Crafting Monday

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Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Great Idea Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

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