1,000 Indian Recipes (269 page)

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1 cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

3 pieces dried kokum halves or about 2 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste

2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
cup minced fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

16 to 20 fresh jumbo shrimp (11 to 15 per pound), shelled and deveined, with tails intact

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the coconut milk. Wash the kokum halves well, chop finely and soak the pieces in 1 cup hot water about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the water. Or, mix the tamarind paste with 1 cup water.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger matchsticks until golden, about 1 minute. Mix in the ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, and green chile peppers and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, about 1 minute.

3.
Mix in the tomato, coriander, turmeric, soaked kokum pieces (or tamarind mixture), curry leaves, and salt, and stir about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once or twice, about 1 minute, then add the reserved kokum water (if not using tamarind), and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the juices are almost dry, about 7 minutes.

4.
Mix in the coconut milk and cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the mint leaves, and serve.

Coconut Chutney Shrimp

Jhinga Nariyal Chutni

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is a saucy shrimp dish that comes with a complex set of flavors. Serve it with rice or Indian breads. To serve as part of a finger-foods buffet, don't add any water and make a thick sauce that clings to each shrimp.

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Hazram's Coconut-Tamarind Chutney with Mint

1 tablespoon
Tamarind Paste

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

4 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 to 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

16 to 20 fresh jumbo shrimp (11 to 15 per pound), shelled and deveined, with tails intact

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Prepare the coconut chutney, tamarind paste, and coconut milk. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon and cardamom pods, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring again, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the coconut chutney, tomato, and tamarind paste and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, stir 1 minute, then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling. Cook until most of the yogurt is absorbed into the sauce, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the coconut milk and water, cover the pan, and simmer, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and opaque and the sauce is thick, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Seafood Curries

Spicy Goan Shrimp Curry

Jhinga Vindaloo

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Keep your taste buds tingling with this spicy curry from Goa. The Goans serve this dish with steamed
basmati
rice, which mellows the heat somewhat, but people in the North eat it with
chapatis
(whole-wheat griddle breads) and a side of a
raita
(seasoned yogurt).

5 to 7 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

25 to 30 fresh curry leaves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons ground black mustard seeds

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons garam masala +
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon for garnish

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
cup distilled white vinegar

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 (1-inch) sticks cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

25 to 30 fresh extra-large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), shelled and deveined, with tails removed

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the garlic, ginger, curry leaves, cumin, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, garam masala, salt, sugar, and turmeric with the vinegar to make a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl. Then process the tomatoes until puréed.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon and bay leaves, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Mix in the spicy vinegar paste and cook, stirring, over low heat until the masala is browned and the oil separates to the sides, about 10 minutes.

3.
Add the puréed tomatoes and cook until most of the juices evaporate and the sauce becomes thick, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they are pink and opaque, about 7 minutes. Mix in the cilantro during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Variation:
For a saucy dish, mix in about 1 cup water during the last 5 minutes of cooking and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer a few minutes before serving. Or add about
¹
⁄
₂
cup red wine, as my friend Rosita Dighe from Goa does.

Shrimp Curry with Chayote

Jhinga-Chow-Chow Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This classic saucy dish is a perennial favorite with rice. It can also be watchfully stir-fried over high heat to make a crisp and dry shrimp dish (without much water added), and served with an array of Indian breads.

Chayote (also called mirliton in the southern United States) are small, pear-shaped squash. Substitute any summer squash if you like.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 chayote, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
to 1 cup water

25 to 30 fresh large shrimp (21 to 30 per pound), shelled and deveined, with tails removed

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the mustard seeds; they should splatter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the splattering subsides.

2.
Quickly add the chayote, turmeric, salt, and
¹
⁄
₂
cup water, cover the skillet, and cook, stirring as needed, until the chayote is tender but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes.

3.
Add the shrimp, curry leaves, cayenne pepper, and asafoetida and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 7 minutes. Press some of the chayote along the sides of the pan. For a saucier dish, add the remaining water and simmer about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Naina's Crab Curry