Tag: south indian cuisine
Shrimp with a Cilantro and Mint Sauce
This is a yummy green curry made with coconut milk, cilantro and mint! It was a delicious combination I served with lemon rice and it was a bit hit. Overall- it was a successful attempt at a green coconut curry… I was very satisfied.
- 1 pound medium sized shrimp, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
Green Curry
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup mint, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 serrano chili, chopped
- ¼ cup water
Blend the cilantro, mint, green onions, white onion, garlic, ginger, chili and water till a smooth sauce.
- 3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 10 to 15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 (14 ounces) light coconut milk
- Salt
- Juice of one lemon
Saute the shrimp on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes in a wok like sauce pan with the extra light olive oil. Take the shrimp out on a paper towel lined platter. Keep aside.
Reheat the wok like sauce pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a minute on high heat or till the seeds start to sizzle. Add the sauce and sauté on medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coriander seeds, salt and coconut milk. Mix well and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add the shrimp, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, taste for seasonings. Serve with plain or lemon rice.
South Indian Style Tomato Rice
This is my version of a classic South Indian style tomato rice- mine is made with brown rice. No one was able to tell which rice was used. It is a great side dish accompanied by a protein or it is a great main to eat with a fried egg on top… either way, it is delicious!
- 1 cup brown jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
Bring the water, salt and oil to a boil. Add the rice and simmer on medium low heat with partial lid on for 10 minutes. Cover with lid and turn to low and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes. Fluff with fork once the rice is cooked and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 8 to 10 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 inch ginger, grated
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
Heat a frying pan with the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and curry leaves. Saute on medium heat for a minute. Add the onion and ginger and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, coriander powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Saute on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cooled rice, mix well and check for seasonings. Serve right away.
Chicken Curry with a South Indian Twist
I concocted this dish for a dinner party we had. I wanted to make a traditional chicken curry but with a twist… a South Indian twist.. which meant I used curry leaves and mustard seeds… it was delicious…
- 1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 inch ginger piece, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
Process the garlic, ginger and cilantro. Add to a small bow with the yogurt and salt. Mix well and add to a large zip lock bag with the chicken. Marinate over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 14 ounces can diced fire roasted tomatoes with chilies
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 1 cup chicken broth
Transfer all the ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and transfer to a blender and blend till smooth. Keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 8 to 10 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute and add the chicken with the marinade. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat. Add the blended tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Check for seasonings.
Coconut Shrimp
This dish is worth reposting. I used the recipe this past weekend for a dinner party I was having. I thought it would be fun to post the dishes I made… next time you want to have a dinner party and cook Indian food- you may want to use this menu…I changed it up a bit by adding sliced onions- made it super delicious…
This dish is truly delicious! I made it the other day- concocted it in my head the day before I was supposed to cook and take it to my friend’s house.
She was having a get together and wanted to know where to get a few meat snacks for a cocktail party. I suggested we cook at home instead. It is so hard to find a place that makes and delivers yummy food. Also, by the time they bring the food over, it’s cooked and cold and doesn’t taste the same reheated. We decided I will cook the shrimp and take to her house. I decided to do a stir fry style dish which will taste good room temperature as shrimp is not so tasty reheated.
There used to be a South Indian restaurant in Edison, NJ that served delicious seafood. We would go once in a while and make it a point to order a shrimp stir fry for appetizer. It was yum! It had cumin and fennel seeds amongst other ingredients. I started to think of that dish and got inspired to make the coconut shrimp.
I roasted the cumin and fennel seeds and powdered them in a spice grinder. I also had fresh frozen shredded coconut which I roasted as well- just to give it more of a crunch in the dish. Store bought, packaged coconut can be substituted for the dish.
The overall flavor was enhanced by the marinade- which was simply lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil. I sauteed the marinated shrimp with the spice mix and added the coconut. Very simple, yet very tasty.
It was a big hit at the party. This dish will definitely be part of my repertoire going forward. Give it a try- you won’t be disappointed!
read more …
Cod Cilantro Curry
I love making fish curries- especially in warm weather. It doesn’t take very long to cook and before I know it, I have a super healthy meal for my family.
I bought some frozen cod from Trader Joes and was trying to figure out what to do with the filets. I usually buy fresh, especially if I am simply sauteing it on the skillet. For curries, I find the frozen variety works really well.
For this dish I decided to make a green mixture out of cilantro and fenugreek leaves. I also made a spice mix that mimicked the same flavors- I used, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and a dash of black peppercorns for a little kick.
It is a great idea to brown the fish briefly, take it out and then saute the veggie mixture- this technique ensures a delicious fish flavor throughout the dish. I added some coconut milk and chicken broth. I had a delicious fish curry in no time. I served it with a spiced polenta… recipe to follow tomorrow….
- 1 to 2 pounds Cod, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
Marinate the fish with turmeric and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 hours.
Spice Mix
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
Toast the spices until aromatic. Let cool and grind in a spice grinder.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
- 1 cup cilantro
- ¼ cup dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Salt
Blend cilantro, fenugreek leaves, shallots, ginger and lemon juice in a blender. Keep aside.
Heat a deep saucepan with the olive oil. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and brown on both sides- about 30 seconds on each side. Take the fish out and keep aside. Reheat the same pan and add the curry leaves. Saute for ten seconds on high heat. Add the cilantro mixture and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fish and cook on a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or till the fish is fully cooked. Taste for seasonings and add salt if necessary.
Serve with spiced polenta.
Indian Style Spinach Polenta
I have to give full credit to my husband for coming up with this idea. While we were discussing what to make for dinner and came up with the fish curry- we were wondering what to serve it with.
My husband loves polenta and he suggested I make it with the fish- but I wasn’t sure since when I think of polenta- Italian cuisine comes to mind… but then I thought, I could make the polenta Indian style. Hmm- as I sat on the train, I began envisioning the polenta. I thought I would start with curry leaves and mustard seeds. Lemon rice came to mind and so I decided to add some nuts for texture. Instead of cooking the polenta with milk and broth, I decided to cook it with just broth and eliminate the cheese. I also wanted to add a vegetable to balance the dish- frozen spinach- perfect!!!
The result was amazing- why didn’t I think of this before??? Sky is the limit when it comes to what all I can add to the polenta. It was delicious with the fish curry- great combination. The spinach was delicious and so were the pistachios- and it was so quick to make.
Next time you are looking for a side dish- think polenta and let your imagination run wild….
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ cup pistachio nuts, chopped
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 1 cup fine one minute polenta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Juice of half a lemon
Heat a medium pan with the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds, nuts and curry leaves. Saute for a minute on medium heat. Add the chicken broth and spinach. Bring to a boil and add salt and polenta. Whisk till thick and smooth. Taste for seasonings and add lemon juice. Serve with fish curry.
South Indian Fish Curry
We were in the city on a Monday for lunch and as usual even after a delicious meal- I was thinking about what to cook for dinner. I asked my husband for ideas and he suggested some thing South Indian. I reminded him Mondays are my busy day since our daughter has some activities after school and we don’t get home until about 6 PM. I don’t get a lot of time to cook and my daughter is super hungry when we get home. So, I need to prepare something in the afternoon and put it together quickly once we get home.
I ended up making a South Indian style fish curry- I happened to have cod in the freezer which I took out as soon as I got home. I processed shallots and ginger together. I roasted cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds and ground them up. The spice mixture holds the key to this curry- it gives it great flavor.
I marinated the fish with some shredded coconut, tamarind concentrate, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt. Remember to keep the fish in the fridge and only marinate for an hour. The rest was easy- I started with sauteing the shallots and curry leaves and then added the spice mix. I then added the coconut milk and fish stock.
The curry was delicious, especially with the Indian style polenta- yes, you read it correctly.. recipe to follow tomorrow…
read more …