In the mood for shrimp (and always in the mood for rice), I found the above-titled recipe that satisfied my mood.  So, I went out to buy some shrimp.  There was a time when I felt intimidated to buy seafood (I’ve never really cared for food shopping in general).    I never knew which fish to pick or what size shrimps to choose, etc… But since I started cooking, that discomfort has now passed.  Now, I’m more confident food shopping.  Strangers actually ask me food questions while I’m picking my groceries and I actually know what to tell them.  Wow!  It’s a miracle! 

So, I pointed to the shrimps I wanted and the fish guy (what do you call him?  Fishmonger?  Way too formal for me.)?  picked them out and weighed them for me.  I bought my rice and green peas and I was on my way to cooking.

After knowing how to cook, only, with salt and black pepper, I’ve been having fun learning to cook with other spices.  The spice of the week for me is garam masala.  Until this recipe, I’d never used it before.  Oh, how I love the smell of this spice.  Put it on the list of ingredients that will make me doing my kitchen dance as soon as I get a whiff of it.  I only used a tiny bit of the garam masala, as the recipe called for.  Yet, it was sufficient to make the rice fragrant and special.  It blended well with the other spices. 

My rice turned out really well.  Delicious.  The only thing I didn’t care for, while preparing this meal,  was peeling and deveining those damned shrimps.  It took forever.  Grrr!  Perhaps next time, I should buy them already deveined and peeled.  Of course, that’s at an extra cost…  Hmmm…  I’ll have to think about it.  I guess, at least, I have the option.  

Once the shrimps were deveined and peeled, there were no problems cooking.  Putting the cooked shrimps and rice together, I was able to enjoy my meal.  Not bad at all.

Paz

Spiced Shrimp

rachaelraymag.com

4 Servings

Prep Time 15 min (plus marinating)

Cook Time 5 min

3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon turmeric

1½ pounds large large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1.  In a large bowl, mix together half the scallions, the garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric.  Add the shrimp and stir to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly and seasoning with the salt, until nearly opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and continue frying until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more.  Top with the remaining scallions.

Peas Pullao

rachaelraymag.com

4 Servings

Prep Time  5 min

Cook Time 30 min

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon garam masala

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1½ cups long-grain rice

1½ teaspoons salt

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1.  In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the garam masala and tumeric and stir to combine.  Stir in 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring briefly to break up any clumps.  Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.

2.  Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated through.

I got this very easy chicken curry recipe from Kafka Na Praia. I think the mango chutney ingredient made this simple rice and chicken dish taste extra special. It’s taste is interestingly similar to an African stew we used to eat and as a result, my family really enjoyed the meal. Oh, I forgot to mention that I didn’t have any curry powder, so I omitted it when cooking. Perhaps that’s why it tasted like an African stew. I’ll have to remember to buy some curry and try the recipe again.

Paz

Chicken Curry

2 chicken thighs and 2 drumsticks, no bone , no skin

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 big tomato, peeled and seeded, chopped

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons cooking oil

salt to taste

1 teaspoon mango chutney

1/2 cup yoghurt

Sprinkle chicken with a little salt and half curry powder.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chicken, browning on both sides. Add garlic, onion, ginger, tomato, remaining curry powder, mango chutney, and chicken stock. Mix gently, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Taste, and add salt as needed. Serve with rice and 2-3 tablespoons yoghurt.

Mango Chutney is the secret ingredient that makes this dish special

There have been a lot of wonderful Indian cuisine blogs and I’ve been having fun reading them and saving many of the recipes that catch my eye. After my two successful meals (see here and here), I continued my next cooking adventure by preparing Keema Matar (Ground Meat with Peas) served with plain parathas. I got this recipe from Meena. By the way, she recently posted all the results of her fun “From My Rasoi” event. The listing of Indian cuisine meals is mouthwatering. Check it out!Back to my meal: I liked the idea of the ground meat and peas. I’d never had parathas before but they looked easy to make, so I decided to make them to serve with the keema matar as the recipe suggested. Making the keema matar went well. I had all the ingredients in the kitchen and they blended well together: Ground chicken, onions, tomatoes, mixed with spices — green chilies, cumin seeds, green cardamoms,cinnamon stick, bay leaves, black peppercorns, whole cloves, red chili powder, cumin powder,garam masala, salt and fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish them meal. After I prepared the ground beef, I turned my attention to the parathas. The ingredients and directions were very simple — whole wheat, salt, mixed with water and fried in oil. My only problem with the parathas were that they came out kind of thick. While I’d never tasted parathas before, I had a feeling that they weren’t supposed to be that thick. I believe I didn’t roll the dough thin enough. Can anyone tell me what I may have done wrong? Despite its thickness, the parathas were still edible and went well with the keema matar. It’s another meal to try again. Here are the recipes for the Keema Matar and Plain Parathas. Thanks, Meena! Paz

Ground Chicken which is prepared first and then set aside Ground chicken mixed with the vegetables and spices Parathas dough Preparing the parathas in the pan The end parathas products

I made my first Indian meal — Tadka Dal — with success! Yay, for me! When I stopped by Hooked on Heat, Meena’s Lentils with Spicy Tempering called out to me. I had most of the main ingredients from her list on hand, and decided to go for it!

Meena’s recipe called for red lentils, an onion, green chillies, tomato, garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seed, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder and ghee (butter).

I didn’t have the red lentils and so used green ones. I didn’t have the following and omitted them: green chillies, fennel seeds and asafoetida (a spice powder).

Despite my omissions, my Tadka Dal tasted terrific! Not bad of first timer. The weather is incredibly cold in my area and the lentils with its spicy tempering warmed the body and soul. It’s the perfect recipe to counteract the effects of a freezing climate and tired body.

I’ve since learned from Meena that different lentils produce different tastes for the same recipe. So, although the dal I made with green lentils tasted really good, the red lentils would provide another type of delicious taste. As a result, I plan to make it again with the red lentils. I also want to know what the asafoetida tastes like and will look for it.

In the meantime, I made the same lentils (green) again for lunch the next day. It hit the spot, again! You can find the recipe here. Thanks, Meena!

By the way, Meena is hosting a monthly event for all those interested in Indian food called From My Rasoi. Rasoi means kitchen in Hindi. Every month, she’ll post a theme and invites participants to come up with a recipe that highlights the “taste of India.” For more information, click on the banner below.

Paz