How to Cook Indian (75 page)

3. Put the coconut, half of the chopped onions, the red chiles, the roasted coriander and cumin, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, and vinegar in a food processor with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 ml) water, and process to a fine paste. Set aside.

4. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the remaining onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Add the ground paste and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously.

6. Add 2½ cups (500 ml) water and bring to a boil. Add the green chiles and stir. Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Add the tamarind pulp and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir gently and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Shrimp Balchao

Shrimp in a sweet-and-sour gravy

This dish from coastal Goa is essentially a pickled shrimp dish, but its sweet-and-sour taste makes it unique. I also make a vegetarian version using
paneer.
Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

40 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 teaspoon table salt

2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

10 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

15 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

10 to 12 whole cloves

2-inch (5-cm) cinnamon stick, broken

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 cup (200 ml) malt vinegar or cider vinegar

¾ cup (150 ml) vegetable oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1. Put the shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss once and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, chiles, cloves, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and vinegar in a food processor, and process to a paste.

3. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the shrimp and fry until they turn pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

5. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the tomatoes turn pulpy.

6. Add the ground paste and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the oil begins to come to the top and the vinegar evaporates. The final mixture should be wet but not runny.

7. Add the shrimp and stir well. Add the sugar and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

8. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Shrimp Ghassi

Shrimp curry

Frying the spices and then grinding them is the traditional way to prepare this dish, which originates from Karnataka. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

24 medium shrimp

1¼ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

8 to 10 whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

4 dried red chiles, stemmed

1 cup (120 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ tablespoons tamarind pulp

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Wash them thoroughly under running water and drain in a colander. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt; toss well and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Lower the heat to low, add the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, fenugreek, and chiles, and sauté for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the coconut, half of the onion, the garlic, turmeric, tamarind pulp, and 1 cup (200 ml) water, and process to a fine paste.

3. Place a deep nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low, add the remaining onion, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the ground paste and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat.

4. Add the shrimp and stir well. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until the shrimp are cooked through.

5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Shrimp Peri Peri

A Portuguese-style spicy shrimp curry

Peri peri
is what the Portuguese call small red bird’s-eye chiles. The Portuguese influence is strong in the food of Goa, the most popular beach getaway in India. I have replaced the fresh chiles in this recipe with lots of dried ones and have mellowed the edge by adding red bell pepper instead of more of the fiery-hot chiles.

Serves 4.

24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) cubes

10 dried red chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 medium tomato, chopped

¼ cup (50 ml) white vinegar

1. Wash the shrimp thoroughly under running water and drain well in a colander. Put in a bowl. Add the salt and peppercorns, and toss well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the bell pepper, chiles, and tomato, and cook until the tomato is pulpy. Add the vinegar and stir. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

4. Transfer to a food processor and process to a fine paste. Add the paste to the shrimp and rub it in well.

5. Place the same nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the shrimp and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the sauce and set aside on a plate. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the sauce is almost dry.

6. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Serve hot.

Sungta Ani Torache Hooman

Shrimp and green-mango curry

This simple green-mango and shrimp preparation comes from the state of Goa. Serve it with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

11 ounces (330 grams) shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon table salt

1 medium green mango

1 cup (120 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

5 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken

15 whole black peppercorns

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

2 green chiles, stemmed and slit

1 large red onion, chopped

1 cup (200 ml) coconut milk

1. Put the shrimp in a large bowl. Add the turmeric, ginger paste, garlic paste, and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and stir well. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Peel the mango and cut it in half. Discard the pit, then cut the mango into 8 equal pieces.

3. Put the coconut, coriander, red chiles, and peppercorns in a food processor with 1 cup (200 ml) water, and process to a smooth paste.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the green chiles and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

5. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut paste, mango, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup (100 ml) water, and cook for 2 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

6. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes.

7. Serve hot.

Tandoori Pomfret

Pomfret cooked tandoor style

Pomfret cooked in a tandoor oven is the most popular fish dish in any good seafood restaurant in Mumbai. But for ease of preparation, I’ve given instructions for cooking it in a conventional oven. The best way to enjoy this fish is with lots of lemon juice.

Serves 4.

4 (7½-ounce/220-gram) small whole pomfrets, cleaned and washed (you can also use butterfish or pompano)

1¾ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt

2½ teaspoons red chile powder

2 teaspoons
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon
ajwain

¼ cup (20 grams)
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ cup (50 ml) butter, melted

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Pat the fish dry with an absorbent towel. Make incisions on both sides of each fish. Combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, the lemon juice, ginger paste, and garlic paste, and rub it all over the fish. Put the fish on a platter, and set aside for 20 minutes.