Thai red curry with shrimp

I wanted to use the shrimp that I've had sitting in the freezer for a while and decided to make Thai curry. I cheated and bought the red curry paste from the store. (I don't have all the individual spices for Thai cuisine yet).  I have learned that I need to be careful about the amount of curry paste I use. The last time I made some Thai curry I used 4 tbs of paste and had to throw the whole pot of curry out because it was sooooo spicy. Jord and I could not handle it. We tried yogurt and milk but the heat was too intense. So I used 1.5 tbs of paste today and it was still pretty hot. I think I am going to add 1 tsp of curry paste next time.

So here is the recipe. It took me about 15 minutes to make the curry, including the simmering.  This recipe will yield 4 servings.

Step 1: Saute some onions and green bell pepper in a non stick pan for about 1 minute on high-medium heat. I used 1/4 of an onion and 1 whole bell pepper. You don't need to add oil. Feel free to add carrots or red bell peppers or broccoli, if you had any.

Step 2: Add red curry paste and 1tsp minced garlic.

I added 1.5 tbs and the curry was spicy. So if you want a milder curry add about 1 tsp of paste. Stir the paste for about 30 seconds or so until you can smell the aroma of the spices.

Step 3: Stir in 1 tsp of brown sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds.

Step 4: Add 1 entire can of lite coconut milk and let the curry come to a boil.

Step 5: Add the cooked shrimp (I used 1.5 cups of cooked shrimp) and let the curry boil for about a minute more. Then, turn the heat down to low setting and let simmer for as long as you want. I let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cilantro now, if you have any, and serve with jasmine rice.

Fish fry

Jord and I love fish. I used tilapia fillets to make some delicious fish fry. You can use any fish with this recipe. This is only a really quick version of fish fry. It does not take more than 5 minutes to prepare and takes 10 minutes to cook.

Step 1: Make a paste with 1/2 lemon (juice), 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1/4 tsp of chilli powder, 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp of salt.

Step 2: Apply the paste thoroughly on both sides of 2 tilapia fish fillets, (I cut the fillets lengthwise in two)

Step 3: Spray some olive oil on a fry pan and place the fillets on it and cook on medium heat until done.You can also use just about a tbs of oil instead of spraying the pan.

Step 4: The fish fry is now ready!

Spinach Sambar

Sambar is a famous south Indian dish. There are so many versions of sambar...probably as many as the number of south Indian women alive. Sambar can be made out of different types of lentils. Toor dal or split pigeon peas is a common main ingredient in South Indian sambar. Toor dal is a good source of protein. Here I have for you my version of sambar. The wonderful thing about this dish is that you can have a different taste by changing just the vegetables you use. You cannot go wrong with this dish. Experiment with various vegetables and combinations of vegetables to find what you like the best. I love spinach, carrots, potatoes, drum sticks, beans, okras, egg plant etc... Try this recipe with any vegetable(s) you have in your refrigerator and let me know what you think.

This is what toor dal looks like...

Toor dal can be bought for cheap at an Indian grocery store. You will also find it in a regular market for a slightly higher price.

Here is my simple and quick version of spinach sambar!

 Step 1: In a sauce pan, pour about 1.5 tbs of olive oil. When it gets hot add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp coriander seeds, a couple of whole red chillis and 1 tbs of curry leaves. Stir for less than a minute.

(Note: Don't let the whole spices burn, or else they will get black and impart a bitter taste to the curry)

Step 2: Add 1.5 cups of chopped onions and saute until onions are slightly browned.

 Step 3: Add 3 cloves of garlic, sliced.

Step 4: Stir in one large tomato, chopped. Add salt to taste-- this will help the tomatoes cook faster.

Step 5: When the tomatoes are almost done, add 6oz of frozen spinach leaves. Stir it for about a minute. (Fresh spinach will taste better. If you use fresh spinach wait for the spinach leaves to wilt before adding the spices.)

Step 6: You are ready to add the spices...1.5 tbs of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp of cumin powder, 1/8 tsp of asofoetida powder.

Note: Aosfoetida is a resin from a tree in India and is a good antiflatulent. You know what happens when we eat beans :) Asofoetida will help minimize gas!

Step 7: Add the cooked toor dal. How much? you ask... it was about 1.5 cups of cooked toor dal.

I used a pressure cooker to cook 1/2 cup of toor dal in two cups of water. I started the pressure cooker at the same time, I was frying the whole spices in oil. The lentils were done by the time I got to this step. so if you have a pressure cooker, use it... or else make sure you have lentils cooked and ready to add.

Step 8: After you've stirred the lentils in, add 2 cups of luke warm water and 1/4 tsp of tamarind paste. Let the sambar boil for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat and then let it simmer on medium-low heat for about another 10-15 minutes.

Step 9: Stir in about 2 tbs of fresh chopped cilantro just before serving. Serve with rice.

Paneer Butter Masala (My style)

Paneer butter masala goes really good with nan and is a popular curry. "Paneer" is a soft Indian cheese which you can find in Indian grocery stores. My mom makes paneer at home, but I think its easier to just buy a block from the store.  If you google paneer butter masala, you will most likely find recipes that are loaded with butter, oil and therefore CALORIES. I wanted to prepare a delicious curry without extra calories. Of course, the paneer itself has several calories, and we don't want to add more than necessary.

I imagined this recipe out in my head this morning and with a little help from my mom, I have here for you a delicious recipe. This recipe takes time to prepare, because of the several steps involved. It took me about 40 minutes, which is more than twice the amount of time I like spending preparing a curry. But this is a curry for special occasions, and the time spent is surely worth it.This recipe will make 6-8 generous servings!

Have fun preparing paneer butter masala, my style, and let me know how it turned out and if you liked it.

So here we go...step 1...

 


Step 1: Brown paneer in a non-stick skillet without any oil.

Note: You can add oil or butter to brown the paneer, if you like. You can also buy fried paneer at the Indian grocery market. I used a 14oz bar of paneer and cut it into rectangular pieces.




Step 2: Soak about 20 almonds in water for about an hour and peel the skin off and blend the almonds to make a thick paste.

Step 3: In a skillet brown 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds and 5-6 cloves in about 1 tbs of olive oil.

Step 4: Add 3 cups of finely sliced onions and saute until golden brown. (I used 1 extra large onion).

Step 5: When the onions have browned slightly, add 1 tbs of fresh minced garlic, 1/2 tbs of fresh ginger paste and 2 cups of sliced tomatoes. Add salt to help the tomatoes cook faster.

 

Step 6: When the tomatoes have cooked, turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the stove, and let the mixture cool down for about 5-8 minutes. Then transfer the onion-tomato mix and the almond paste to a blender and make a paste. Do not add water. 

Step 7: Return the skillet to the stove and add about a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. 

Step 8: Next add 1 tbs of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1/4 tsp of chilli powder and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder. Stir the spices well in the melted butter. Be careful not to burn the spices. Turn down the heat if you need to.

Step 9: Add the onion-tomato-almond paste to the pan and stir around to let the spices mix well in the mixture. Turn the heat up to medium-high.

Step 10: Stir in 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and 1 cup of hot water.

Step 11: Finally add the browned paneer. Let the masala come to a boil and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Garnish with 2 tbs of fresh cilantro and serve with warm chapathi or nan or rice. Yum!