Curried Shrimp in Coconut Milk ..... And the Give Away Winner !!

No no.....there was no Food World, Reliance Fresh or Spencers.I went with Baba riding on his green Bajaj scooter to the sabzi mandi ..... Once upon a time !

As far as my memory goes only few of the big garment shops or gold shops had a climate controlled environment ..... in simple words A.C.

And it was definitely a big deal and a status symbol to buy things from a shop like that ... Yes you paid a price to sit in the 'thanda' room and for those glittering LED lights .... few extra bucks !!

And who in the world would have imagined that a day would come when big names like Reliance would engage in selling Sabzi in air conditioned shops ..... ok ok Retail Marketing or Food Mall. Hope I am technically correct.

Buying vegetables and grocery is so much easier ... provided you secure a place to park your car. Thanks to the proactive ICICI Car loan agents, there is at least one car in every household !! After all who would want to go to a sabzi mandi in the blaring hot sun.

And there is no such word as 'Bargaining'. Did you say 'cheapo'. Indeed that is why the modern marketing guru's have abolished that word and also it's synonyms. Life is easy ... no more engaging in arguments over an extra bunch of dhaniya patta or few green chilies.

In other words 'India Shining' ... quoted by the NDA government. Before you tag me with being associated with BJP, RSS etc I am also going to write what the current UPA govt says ...'Ho Raha Bharat Nirmaan'

But what about the developed West from where we imitated this culture. Why do they fancy the 'Farmer's Market','Grow your own herb' movement etc ?? Why so much importance on buying food directly from the farmers or even growing your own. Well I am sure we all know the answer ...don't we ??

Are any of the Retail Marketing Gurus' listening ??

Preparation Time - 40 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Medium size Shrimp/ Prawn - 12

Onion - 1/2 (medium size)

Garlic Cloves - 2

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Coriander - 1/2 tsp

Tomato paste - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1/3 tsp

Chili (Fresh or Green) - 4 (per taste)

Curry Leaves - few

Coconut Milk - 1 cup

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt per taste

Method of Preparation

1. Grind onion, ginger,garlic,cumin,coriander,chilies,cinnamon to make a smooth paste.

2. Marinate the shrimp with little turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the shrimp just for few minutes so that they turn opaque. Refrain from over frying else the shrimps would be rubbery.

4. In a wok add some more oil. When the oil is hot temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the groundmasala and salt and fry till the masala is cooked well and there is no raw smell. Add tomato paste.

5. Add the coconut milk and simmer. Add some water if needed to adjust the consistency. Add the shrimps and simmer for 2 minutes before turning off the heat.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with rice.

I would like to thank everyone for their constant encouragement and for the love they show towards me and my blog and for participating in the give away.I wish I could give one book to each.

I promise to come up with another give away very soon .....

So J helped me with picking up a random winner. And the winner of this give away is

6 Bittersweets - Big falafel-lover here and yours look perfect!

Congratulations !! Please email me your name and address @ satrupa.dash@gmail.com to mail you the cook book.I would surely recommend all of you to visit her blog for her flawless clicks and awesome cupcakes.

Charred Tawa Prawns

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night?

What do these little snow people do when we tuck ourselves cozy in our bed ....... Have you ever wondered if all the snowman march up to the neighborhood park for a little "Snowman' get together. Do they slide down the slopes of snow and throw snow balls at each other. Or do they accompany Santa on his sledge and go distributing gifts to all the cute angels on earth.

Mr Gavin took us to a wonderland of fantasy as he read out this hilarious story of 'Snow Man in the Night' to his students. I was one of the lucky audiences of Mr Gavin's Story telling group. My friend's 6 year old had invited me to be a part of Snowman's Night Celebration at his school this weekend. We did a little scrap book on snowman later in his classroom. This super creative fella made a Snowman Baby and a Snowman Mommy ...... Can you be any better creative than him. I loved watching him doing his little Snowman family.

I felt like I was back to school after all these years. He was excited to show me his school. Cut outs of Snow Man adored every nook and corner of the school. The school cafeteria served hot chocolates and there was cookies for everyone. What better than dunking some cookies in hot chocolate while watching lil brats run and play all around you. Ahh I was loving every moment of it and wished if time could come to a halt.

As we walked out after the event we saw flurries all over. The night could not get any better....... Kids were sticking their tongues out to feel the cold cottony snow ..... I knew it was going to snow ....... an indication of 'Snowman Night'.

I remembered the little snowman I had made last winter and how he looked distorted the next morning with a crooked grin. Well now I know what Snowman do at night :-)

My Snowman family with their sledge and reindeer :-)

Well this Charred Masala Tawa Prawns are a HIT ..... Perfect Appetizer for a cold snowy eve when you want to have some quick fix meal.

Preparation Time 20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Big Shrimps/ Prawns - 14 nos

Chopped Onion - 1/3 cup

Garlic Clove - 1

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch

Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp

Red Dry Chili - 2

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Wash and de vein the shrimps/ prawns leaving only the tail. Pat dry and sprinkle some turmeric and salt. Keep aside

2 Make a smooth paste of Onion, ginger, garlic, dry red chili, cinnamon and cumin seeds in the blender and adding very little water or no water.

3 Add this mixture to the shrimps/ prawns and mix well. Add a little oil too while mixing.

4 Drizzle a little oil on a frying pan. When hot add the marinated shrimps/ prawns. Fry on medium-high heat till the masala on each side is a little charred.

5 Remove from heat and add a little lemon juice over it.

Serving Tips

Serve warm as an appetizer.

Chingudi Bara aka Shrimp Cakes

How was your weekend ? Did you relax and have quality time with your family and friends ? Did you cook something special, light some fragrant candles and play some light music and enjoy some mushy moments ? Or was it a busy one ..... with you catching up with pending stuff and running around to complete errands that had been waiting to catch your attention.

Mine was quite a balanced one.

It began with the birthday party of a six year old on Friday. I ran errands on Saturday but Sunday was quite peaceful.

I decided to prepare these Chingudi Bara ( Chingudi = Shrimp in Odiya) Shrimp Cakes ..... my very own recipe. But there is not much to boast about because when you add shrimps to potatoes with some dry ground spices they are supposed to taste good. You can never go wrong with it.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Makes about 8-9 medium size cakes

Ingredients

Cleaned and de-veined Shrimp - 6

Potato - 1 (Medium Sized)

Chopped Scallions - 1 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 pinch

Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1. Roughly chop the shrimps. Mash the Potatoes.

2. In a pan, heat about 1 tsp of oil. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 -3 minutes. Add the chopped shrimps and fry till the shrimps are transparent. Remove from pan and let it cool.

3 Mix the rest of the ingredients with the mashed potatoes along with this fried shrimps.

4 Make small cakes out of the mixture.

5 Heat some more oil in a tawa. Fry till both sides are brown and crisp.

Serving Tips

Serve warm. Sprinkle some Chat Masala and lime juice.

Variation

You many also shallow fry the cakes.

Other Names

Shrimp Cakes - Chingudi Bara

Do let me know what you think about this recipe. I would appreciate your inputs for the same. Have a wonderful week ahead !

Chili Garlic Shrimp

If you are feeling lazy but still want to have something that makes your taste buds happy and also makes you feel no guilty about having a high fat/ calorie food ,here is the perfect recipe. You can prepare this for your guests when entertaining and make it look like you sweated it out !!

So for all the lazy souls hanging around, here is a yummy seafood starter.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Shrimp - 1/2 pound (15 in number - mid sized ones)

Capsicum - 1 Small

Onion - 1 Small

Garlic - 6 Cloves

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green Chilli - 2

Crushed Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Soy Sauce - 3 tsp

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Green Chili Sauce - 2 tsp

Oil - 3 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Ajinomotto - 1 pinch (optional)

Method of Preparation

1 De vein and clean the shrimps. Cut the Capsicum and Onion into small cubes. Finely chop ginger and garlic. Slit the green chillis into halves. Keep aside.

2 Take 2 cups of water in a vessel and put the cleaned and de veined shrimps into it. Add a pinch of salt to it. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Once the shrimps start turning orange and opaque remove and drain the water.( I prefer boiling the shrimps to frying it as it gives the same flavor without compromising the taste and of course being healthy with no fat )

3 In a non stick skillet or frying pan put 3 tsp of oil. When the oil is hot put the slit green chillis and chopped garlic and ginger. Add capsicums to it and stir fry for 5 minutes.Then put the onions and saute till translucent.

4 Add the boiled shrimps to it. To this add all your sauces and stir fry on high heat for 3 - 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and ajinomotto.

Remove to a dish and garnish with chopped corrinader leaves.

Chilli Garlic Shrimps are ready to tickle your taste buds.

Serving Tips

Enjoy this dish as a stand alone starter. You can also have it as a side dish with noodles or chinese fried rice.

Notes

Chinese dishes taste great when cooked on medium - high heat flame. So make sure you stir it at regular intervals.Steam the capsicum in the microwave for 2-3 minutes before you fry them. This will reduce your cooking time.

Variations

Use yellow/ red capsicum for a colorful look.

If you are a vegetarian, try the same thing with paneer. But make sure that you add the paneer towards the end and give it a smooth stir to avoid breaking it.

Also try this with fish fillets. It turns out great !

If you like very spicy food, add a tsp of chilli garlic sauce. And if you like less spicy then add a tsp of tomato ketchup. It sweetens it a bit.

Other Names

Capsicum - Bell Peppers, Green Chillis - Jalepeno, Coriander leaves - Dhaniya patta.

Chingudi Jhol

I used to wait for Sunday for reasons more than one ...... certainly not because it was a school holiday but because it was a day free from Corn Flakes and Chattua (made from different pulses and wheat ground together and mixed with milk), also no fights with my sister for the bathroom. It was holiday for mom too ....... so a day for good food and dining !! Like every Sunday, dad left for the fish market early morning, even before I was out of bed . He had to fulfill his duty of getting the fresh catch for his family. That was one of his daily chores apart from the many others that he did to help his loving wife and kids of coarse.

I woke up with the aroma of egg roll ... It amalgamated with the agarbatti smell that mom had lit after the morning Puja. But I was only bothered about the hot egg roll !! So without making a noise I brushed my teeth and ran to the kitchen. I got my serving of egg roll and sat before the television watching my favorite program 'The Jungle Book', popularly known as Mogli and snacked away on the egg roll.

Once dad was back I ran like a little kitten to open the door and inspect the nylon bag in which he usually bought fish. (We have cared for the environment since those days ..... no plastic bags). 'Chingudi' (Prawns) I screamed in delight .... nothing could have made my day better than my favorite egg roll in the morning and then Chingudi Jhol for lunch. Dad and mom discussed about the pricey Chingudi that we were going to have for lunch as my mother carefully cleaned them and smeared them with some turmeric and salt.

Chaarrrr Chaarrrr ...... I heard the Chingudi fly into the hot oil ..... and then the divine smell of the prawn was in every nook and corner of our house. I hurried to the kitchen, my eyes lit up seeing the red-orange fried ones !! I reached out for one ..... and then one more. My mother warned me that if I had my share I would not get any extra for lunch.

I could not wait for lunch to be served. Nothing tastes good than having your favorite dishes cooked by your mother and then eating it with your entire family. Truely satisfying !!

Ingredients

Shrimps - 20 in number

Onion - 1 medium size

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 4 cloves (big ones)

Tomato - 1

Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch

Whole Corriander seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Chillie Powder - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Clean and devein the shrimps/ prawns. Smear them with some turmeric powder and salt.

2 Grind Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Cumin seeds, Corriander seeds and Cinnamon stick in a mixie to a fine paste. Puree the tomato and keep aside.

3 Heat oil in a pan and fry the shrimps/ prawns. Keep aside.

4 Pour some more oil in a kadhai. When hot put the ground masala, turmeric, red chillie powder and fry till it leaves oil and is cooked. Add the tomato puree and cook throughly. Once cooked add some water and let the gravy simmer.

5 Add the fried shrimps/ prawns to the gravy. Sprinkle the garam masala and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

Do not over fry the shrimps, else they turn rubbery.

Variation

Fry some potatoes and add to the gravy. Use ready to use tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes.

Other Names

Chingudi Jhol - Prawn/Shrimp Gravy,Prawn /Shrimp curry

Prawn Cabbage Curry

This cabbage curry is one of my favourites and a no fuss easy one. If you are familiar with Indian cooking, you can master this curry in no time.Traditionally it is prepared with small prawns found locally or with fish.

Cabbage Shrimp Curry is a steal from my mother's kitchen. Hope you will enjoy cooking and eating this curry as much as I do.
Preparation Time - 60 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Shredded Green Cabbage - 3 cups
Shrimps - 10 in number
Onion - 1 Medium size

Tomato - 1
Garlic - 4 Cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method of Preparation
1 Shred Cabbage,wash and keep aside. Blend Onion,ginger,garlic and the cinammon in a mixer . Chop Tomatoes. Devein and clean Shrimps/Prawns, cut into smaller pieces.
2 Marinate Shrimp with half a spoon of turmeric and some salt. Fry till cooked. Keep aside.
3 Heat about 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a wide mouthed vessel. Add about 2 tbsp of the blended Onion Ginger Garlic Masala. Add salt turmeric and red chilli powder and cook till the oil starts separating from the masala. Combine the tomatoes to make a nice masala. Keep stirring, else the masala may stick to the bottom of the vessel.
4 Add the shredded cabbage to this cooked masala and blend well. Sprinkle some water if required.
5 Sprinkle the cumin powder and mix.
6 Cover and cook on medium heat till the cabbage is soft and throghly cooked.
7 Finish the curry by adding the fried shrimps and the garam masala.
Serving Tips
Serve hot with Rice or any bread ( Roti/Phulka/Paratha)
Notes
Make sure you stir the cabbage in regular intervals to prevent it from burning. Cook the masala well till the oil separates to prevent the raw masala smell.
Variation
Instead of Prawns/Shrimp, you may also fry fish,shred it and add to the curry. Add peas to the curry if you wish.