An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [50]
4 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 slices of fresh ginger, 1 inch long, 1 inch wide, and 1⁄16 inch thick, peeled
1 hot dried red pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Peel and de vein the shrimp. Wash under cold running water. Pat dry as thoroughly as you can.
In a cup, combine the crushed mustard seeds, turmeric, tomato sauce, and 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a 10–12-inch skillet over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the cloves of garlic, the ginger slices, and the hot red pepper. Stir and turn around. In a few seconds, as soon as contents begin to darken, add the shrimp. Keep stirring until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Now put in the mustard seed paste. Turn heat to a moderate low. Keep stirring. Add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir and fry another 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
To serve: Place on heated platter and serve with a rice dish or with hot pooris. Serve one or two vegetables with it, perhaps cabbage and peas, as well as a yogurt relish.
Shrimp with peas and parsley
SERVES 4
1 pound shrimp
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, 1 inch long and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons minced Chinese or regular parsley
1 small (or ½ large) sweet green pepper, cut in ¼-inch squares
½ cup freshly shelled peas
⅛–¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Peel and devein the shrimp. Wash under cold running water. Pat dry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the garlic and ginger in the container of an electric blender, along with 3 tablespoons of water. Blend at high speed until you have a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a 10–12-inch skillet over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the shrimp. Fry and stir the shrimp until they barely turn pink and opaque all over. Remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Into the same skillet pour the paste from the blender. Add the turmeric and fry, stirring, over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Lower the heat and add tomato paste, parsley, green pepper, peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper, and 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until peas are just cooked.
Remove the cover from the skillet, raise heat, and boil away most of the liquid. When a thick pastelike sauce remains, put the shrimp back in. Stir and cook until the shrimp are well coated (there should be almost no sauce left in the pan). Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Turn off heat.
To serve: Place in a warm dish and serve with hot pooris, chapatis, or parathas, or with any kind of rice dish. You could also have a sauced potato dish, e.g., Potatoes with Asafetida and Cumin or, if you like, Mushrooms with Cumin and Asafetida.
Shrimp with sweet Italian peppers
SERVES 4
Even though green bell peppers are normally used for this dish, I often substitute the Italian peppers because of their sweeter taste. Try to pick them so they are about the same length—about 3 inches long. This dish has a wonderful sauce made up of onions, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, tomato sauce, and lemon juice.
1 pound shrimp
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
6 medium-sized Italian peppers
5–6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and very finely minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely minced
5 whole cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick, 2½–3 inches long
6 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Peel and devein the shrimp. Wash thoroughly under cold running water, drain, and then pat as dry as you can.
Place the shrimp in a bowl. Sprinkle them with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the turmeric. Mix well with your hands, rubbing the salt and turmeric