How to Cook Indian (72 page)

1. Make the shrimp: Peel the shrimp but leave the shells on the tails. Devein, wash thoroughly under running water, and drain well in a colander. Carefully slit each shrimp lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Flatten each shrimp just enough to make it look like a butterfly. Pat dry and put in a bowl.

2. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, and lemon juice and rub them in well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C.

4. Divide the chicken into 8 portions. Take a shrimp, point the head side toward you, place 1 portion of the chicken on the wide end of the shrimp, and roll the shrimp up until you reach the tail. Fasten the loose end with a toothpick. Wrap up each shrimp in a small piece of aluminum foil and put them all on a baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Make the sauce: Whisk the cashew paste and boiled-onion paste together in a bowl. Crush the saffron, dissolve it in 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, add it to the paste mixture along with the ground cardamom, and set aside.

6. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, and whole peppercorns, and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the
ajwain
and sauté for 30 seconds.

7. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the onion-paste mixture and sauté until the oil comes to the top. Add 1½ cups (300 ml) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, pass the sauce through a strainer into another nonstick saucepan, and discard the solids.

8. Place the pan with the sauce over medium heat, and as it begins to boil, lower the heat to low and add the chiles, crushed peppercorns, and salt.

9. Unwrap the shrimp and add them to the sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Kolambi Bharleli Vangi

Eggplant stuffed with shrimp

There are many versions of this recipe in India. In this particular version, eggplants are stuffed with spicy shrimp and cooked in an onion-tomato mixture.

Serves 4.

7 ounces (200 grams) medium shrimp

1½ teaspoons table salt

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

4 medium red onions, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup (15 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

9 baby eggplants

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

½ teaspoon red chile powder

2 teaspoons tamarind pulp

1. Peel and devein the shrimp and wash thoroughly under running water. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the turmeric. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low and add half of the onions. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.

3. Add half of the tomatoes and cook, stirring continuously, for 4 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.

4. Add the chiles, coriander, cumin, lemon juice, half of the cilantro, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the shrimp. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

5. Slit the eggplants into quarters from the bottom, keeping the stem end intact. Stuff the shrimp mixture into the eggplants.

6. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining onions. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown.

7. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the remaining tomatoes and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the oil comes to the top. Add 1 cup (200 ml) water, the remaining ¼ teaspoon turmeric, the chile powder, tamarind pulp, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir well.

8. Place the stuffed eggplants in the pan, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, turning the eggplants occasionally.

9. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining cilantro, and serve hot.

Kolambi Kaju Curry

A rich and delicious shrimp-and-cashew curry

There is a special dish cooked in Maharashtra that is made using cashews and the flesh of tender coconut. But tender coconut is not readily available in all parts of the world, so I replaced the coconut with an ingredient that is also flavorful and tender: shrimp.

Serves 4.

20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

15 cloves garlic, peeled

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

8 whole black peppercorns

4 whole cloves

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

¼ cup (15 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

2 green chiles, stemmed

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

2 large red onions, chopped

2 teaspoons red chile powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 teaspoons tamarind pulp

2 teaspoons table salt

20 cashews

1. Wash the shrimp thoroughly under running water and drain well in a colander.

2. Put 8 cloves garlic, the ginger, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, half the cilantro, and the chiles in a food processor. Add ¼ cup (50 ml) water and process to a fine paste.

3. Crush the remaining 7 cloves garlic.

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 crushed garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Add the ground garlic–spice mixture and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chile powder and turmeric, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the tamarind pulp, salt, and 1½ cups (300 ml) water. Stir well and bring to a boil.

6. Add the shrimp and cashews, and simmer for 8 minutes.

7. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve hot.

Kolmi No Patio

Parsi-style shrimp curry

In this popular Parsi dish, shrimp (
kolmi,
as the Parsi call them) are cooked in a strong, tangy, garlic-flavored sauce. This dish is usually accompanied by steamed rice and a plain lentil dish on the side.

Serves 4.

14 ounces (400 grams) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons fresh ginger paste (page 12)

2 teaspoons fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1½ teaspoons table salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon red chile powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 green cardamom pods

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

3 medium red onions, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Wash the shrimp thoroughly under running water and drain well in a colander.

2. Put the shrimp in a bowl and add the ginger paste, garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the turmeric, and chile powder. Stir well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

3. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cardamom and cinnamon, and sauté until fragrant.

4. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft.

5. Add the marinated shrimp and stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Add the vinegar and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Machchli Tak-A-Tak

A fish curry cooked on a griddle

The
tawa
(griddle) in Indian homes is usually reserved for making
rotis
and
parathas.
Other foods cooked on a
tawa
are often made in restaurants and at wedding banquets where food is prepared to order. This dish’s name,
tak-a-tak,
is explained in the recipe.
Rawas,
the fish used here, is called the Indian salmon. It is very different from American salmon. For this recipe, you can use rockfish or grouper if
rawas
is unavailable. Crabmeat is a good addition to this dish; substitute it for some of the shrimp and fish if you’d like.